Politics
Trinidad and Tobago:Persad Bissessar gov’t defeats no-confidence motion
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister., Kamla Persad Bissessar. PHOTO/reuters
(CMC) – The five-party People’s Partnership coalition Saturday closed ranks and easily defeated a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar and reiterated early positions that the measure was “frivolous and senseless”.
Instead the government voted in support of an amendment that read “whereas the Prime Minister and her historic People’s Partnership government inherited an economy in decline, a culture of wastage, raging and rampant crime, debilitating corruption and a style of arrogance in leadership, which led to its disconnect between the people and the government”.
When the vote was taken, the government defeated the opposition motion by a 29-11 margin. Former prime minister Patrick Manning was not present in Parliament as he is still recovering from a stroke.
The government had on Friday used its majority to amend the motion that had been filed by Opposition Leader Dr. Keith Rowley, recalling that in 1995 and 2008, the then People’s National Movement (PNM) government had used its majority to amend motions of no confidence against Manning.
By amending the motion, it meant that Prime Minister Persad Bissessar closed the debate and she told legislators that “the motion has brought forth a lot on both sides of the House”.
She said after more than 27 hours of constant debate, it was obvious that her administration had taken the motion “very seriously” and that she was pleased with the “overwhelming support’ shown in her defence by her Cabinet colleagues.
“I have every confidence in my ministers,” she said, adding that at the end of the presentations by the opposition provided no new information to the public.
