The United National Congress has struck down claims made by Prime Minister Keith Rowley that it was being obstructionist to proposed reform of Local Government legislation.
However, two of the party's senior members said there must be constitutional protection for Local Government as they questioned and called for clarification on the role of the Rural Development Ministry.
On the campaign trail, Rowley accused the UNC of impeding its decision to introduce and pass legislation for the reform even though he said, they have been supportive until now.
Now that the time has come for the legislation to be debated, he said there were some in the UNC who are calling for constitutional changes and a special majority to support it.
"I think Dr Rowley, as Prime Minister, must have a little more respect for the system we have in T&T," Caroni Central MP Bhoe Tewarie said. He said under this system MPs in both parties were elected to sit in Parliament by the people.
"We did not get here by guess. We have a constitutional duty in the Parliament and it is to say what we think and to say how we feel and it is to represent the interest of the people whom we represent and that is not obstructionist to declare our point of view.
"If it contradicts Dr Rowley's point of view and if he would understand and appreciate that, then I think he would have much greater collaboration in the Parliament, " Tewarie said.
As they presented their party's Local Government manifesto, four days before elections, UNC MP's Dr Suruj Rambachan, Tewarie and chairman Dr David Lee all endorsed the reform which they said was in line with what the PNM was offering.
Tewarie said, however, they had a problem with the qualitative difference in their understanding of what Local Government reform was, how it was to be translated into a Bill and legislative drafting.
"The second issue we have, is the role of the Ministry of Rural Development. The Local Government Ministry was abolished. Many of the Local Government corporations in this country cover rural areas and if you are going to have greater power, greater decentralisation and greater autonomy for Local Government, then what is the role of the Rural Development Ministry?" Tewarie asked.
He questioned whether its role was complementary, supplementary or in competition with Local Government themselves.
"I think we have a big problem with this particular issue and we need clarification on that. The third issue is whether or not the Government is going to come to the Parliament and try to effect Local Government by a Bill for Local Government reform and then take four to five years to initiate that reform.
"We are saying there are things which we initiated that have already been done and can be done now. One of them is to proclaim the Planning and Facilitation of the Development Bill and to decentralise and devolve power for business of regional planning and for the decision on house plans and small development through Local Government through the corporations.