TNT Opposition leader calls for general elections

Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Leader Kamla Persad Bissessar on Sunday called for fresh general elections in that country after Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley suddenly fired his Public Utilities Minister, Marlene Mc Donald less than 72 hours after she was sworn in as a minister in his Cabinet.

“The Prime Minister should understand that the country has lost patience with his incompetence and should now remove himself from office and seek a fresh mandate,” the opposition leader noted.

In the last general election in 2015, Rowley led his People’s National Movement (PNM) to a 23-18 victory over the ruling coalition People’s Partnership administration headed by Persad Bissessar.

A brief government statement on Sunday gave no reasons for the sudden dismissal of the minister, who is also the deputy leader of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM). This is the second time within a 16-month period that Mac Donald has been fired from the government that came to office in 2015.

There had been widespread speculation that Rowley had not been pleased with the appearance of a certain “community leader” who was among the guests at the Office of the President when McDonald was sworn in on Thursday.

The government statement said that Prime Minister Rowley had advised President Anthony Carmona “to revoke the appointment of Ms. Marlene McDonald, Minister of Public Utilities with immediate effect.