Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal has called on Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley to apologise to the nation for a racist placard displayed during Friday's march in Port-of-Spain.He also sounded a warning to union leaders playing "footsie" with the PNM.Moonilal was speaking at the People's Partnership fourth anniversary celebrations at Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, yesterday. Rowley, however, claimed those picketers were planted by the PP.
Saying the Government's enemies were running scared and have become desperate, Moonilal claimed that the PNM could not beat the Government on performance, delivery and programmes and that the opposition party has now resorted to espionage, sabotage and extortion.Urging supporters not to return the PNM to power, he said the PNM has gone back to its basic instincts of race and division and is now using elements in the trade union movement.
Moonilal also noted that in the four years the PP has been in power, not even the party's enemies can find one example of arrogance or an iota of corruption against PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar.Moonilal warned that Rowley would dismantle the public service with the abolishment of the Local Government Ministry, and thousands of public servants would be retrenched.Congress of the People leader Prakash Ramadhar, who also addressed supporters, said the Government's enemies have grown stronger under the Rowley-led PNM.
Calling on the population to forget the propaganda, he said certain things must be done to win next year's elections. "And I want to say we may have been a little bit reckless and sometimes careless, taking for granted that the love of the nation will always be with us, as rightly we deserve it to be."Ramadhar said, "We must not allow the ego or the ambition of a few to jeopardise the future of this Government or this nation. We must restore truth in everything we do or say."
Sport Minister Anil Roberts, meanwhile, mounted the platform and shouted: "Rowley you cah smoke meh out. Keith Rowley say today that he is ready to be the Prime Minister and that Kamla Persad-Bissessar must call elections now...like Rowley smoking weed or what!"
He then introduced artiste Ziggy Ranking before he left the stage.