Former Parliament colleagues of former House Speaker and Member of Parliament Dr Rupert Griffith are paying tribute to him following his death Wednesday afternoon.
"Saddened by the news of the passing of my former Cabinet colleague Dr Rupert Griffith. He was a man who will have a special place in the history of the politics of T&T," former energy minister Kevin Ramnarine wrote in tribute on his Facebook page.
"In 1997 he crossed the floor to support the first UNC Government. He served as a Member of Parliament for both Arima and Toco/Sangre Grande, as the Speaker of the Parliament (2000 to 2002) and as a Minister. I will remember him as a humble, quiet and steady figure in the Cabinet and Parliament. Rest in Peace Rupert."
Another former minister in the People's Partnership government, Stephen Cadiz, wrote: "I sat next to Rupert in Cabinet and in the Parliament. We were both people of the east. He was a genuine, personable person. RIP Rupert!"
Current MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie expressed condolences to Griffith's family, including wife Sandra Ray Griffith and friends.
"May his soul rest in Peace. May God embrace him. He worked well for Trinidad and Tobago and we worked well together to complete an ICT plan for our country. Blessings," Tewarie wrote.
Griffith, who celebrated his 72 birthday on November 7 and is a father of three, died at about 6 pm. He was said to be ailing for some time.
He rose to real national prominence in 1997 when he crossed the floor as the People's National Movement's Arima MP to support the first United National Congress government. He served as a Member of Parliament for both Arima and Toco/ Sangre Grande, as Speaker of the Parliament and as a Cabinet Minister.
More on this story as information comes to hand.