A driver campaigning with the People's National Movement (PNM) was shot in Chaguanas on Friday night and one of the party's candidates in the upcoming local government election has received two racist letters with threats to himself and his family, party PRO Stuart Young said yesterday.
In detailing the incidents, Young called on the people responsible to "cease and desist" from trying to incite violence in the build-up to the election. He also called for Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal to "apologise and retract" statements he made on Thursday night urging United National Congress (UNC) supporters to fling roti in the face of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
"We want to call upon our national community, and in particular all of the right-thinking citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, to join us at the executive level of the People's National Movement and through every level down to our ground level, to come out and condemn any type of violence, any type of discrimination, any type of condemnation, any type of attack whatsoever, be it verbal or otherwise, on any candidate and this is not alone for PNM candidates," he said.
"We would condemn any attack on any candidate for any party, the MSJ (Movement for Social Justice), the UNC, the COP (Congress of the People) any of the other parties in Trinidad and Tobago. We at the People's National Movement will not for a moment support any individual in Trinidad and Tobago discriminating against another, in particular any person who has offered his or her service to the wider community of Trinidad and Tobago, ... so please join with us in condemning this type of behaviour and not letting it take foot in Trinidad and Tobago at all."
Young made the comments at an impromptu press conference at the PNM's Balisier House headquarters called to deal with two incidents that occurred within a 24-hour period.
General Secretary Ashton Ford was also at the press conference.
The first issue was addressed was the shooting of a man following a PNM motorcade in Chaguanas on Friday night.
According to police reports, Rooplal Rampersad, 37, was heading west along the Southern Main Road, Montrose, on the tray of his music truck campaigning with the PNM when he was shot. When the music truck reached near Desmond Street, Rampersad complained of feeling a burning sensation on his left lower arm. He was taken to the Chaguanas Health Facility and treated.
Rampersad was on his way to the PNM meeting at the corner of La Clave and John Streets at Montrose when the shooting occurred.
PC Augustus and WPC Lalbeharry visited Rampersad at the Chaguanas Health Facility but were however unable to obtain any useful information from him. The officers also visited the scene of the shooting and questioned several people but to no avail.
WPC Lalbeharry is continuing investigations.
Addressing the shooting incident, Young said, "It seems as though he was shot by a pellet so it was not a high-powered firearm or any other type of firearm but rather an air rifle was used, and in any event we would like to say with the strongest possible language that that is unacceptable.
"We have always run very, very peaceful campaigns. We are here to do service for the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago and it is very, very disturbing for an incident such as this to take place and we are hoping that this is an isolated incident and one of mischievousness that goes no further and does not at all gather any ground over the next week as we go toward a local government election."
Young then revealed that candidate for St James West Roald Ramkissoon had received two anonymous racist letters in his mailbox.
"These threats are crafted in the most vile and awful type of language. Really nasty language if I may use that terminology, and this again we in the PNM condemn," Young said.
Young said the threats were reported to the St James Police Station.
The two incidents had left a "bad taste in our mouth," Young said.
"Whoever is behind these incidents, we call upon you to immediately cease and desist because this is really unacceptable behaviour in a Trinidadian multi-faceted, multi-cultural, multi-racial society," he said.
He said the language in the letters were the "nastiest type of language" and aimed at "really trying to promote racism, which has no place whatsoever in Trinidad and Tobago."
Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar accused Public Utilities Minister Fitzgerald Hinds of inciting violence when he made a statement on a PNM platform at Mafeking Junction, Mayaro.
During the meeting, Hinds said: "I said to my colleagues, as a younger parliamentarian then, I said the UNC is badly wounded. We need to finish them out. Kill them dead. I want you to understand that on November 28, you have the opportunity to drive a PNM balisier deep into the hearts of the wicked UNC vampires. Take a stake with a balisier on top and drive it deep within their heart and finish them off once and for all."