Two UNC supporters tried in vain to chase off Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley from touring the Debe market late yesterday as he visited a UNC stronghold. As the Diego Martin West MP arrived at the market shortly after 5.30 pm one man shouted: "Rowley you bring the rain."
Another vendor tried to sell Rowley watermelon at $5 a pound instead of the regular $3. However, many other shoppers greeted Rowley warmly, shaking his hands and complaining of poor infrastructure, overcrowding and victimisation at the hands of the People's Partnership. During the discussion, Ajit Ramcharan, of Debe, walked up to Rowley saying:
"Why you come here? This highway designed by the PNM and now you saying you don't want the highway. Leave here. We don't want you in Debe." Anton Singh added: "The PNM neglected us for years. What you now coming here for? However, Rowley said: "It is my duty to find out the concerns that people have and I don't need anybody's permission to go any part of this country."
He then walked away. A few pro-highway activists confronted Rowley, accusing him of "politricking". However, he said the PNM had taken no position of not supporting the highway. He added: "We were careful not to get involved in any 'kankatang'. This highway was started under the PNM, the engineers designed the route and it was up to this Government to execute the project.
"Don't let it be said for one second the PNM does not support the highway because that is clearly not so." He added that a decision to review the highway could bring some benefit. Asked to comment on recent statements by Point Fortin MP Paula Gopee-Scoon she did not want the highway, Rowley said he did not know anything about that.
He said some people wanted the highway to start on both ends but its construction was left up to the Government. He also said the Government was steeped in corruption and that was evident in the recent Transparency International Corruption Index which ranked T&T as 80.