Dr Keith Rowley is once again trying to recast himself as the voice of reason, but the people of Trinidad and Tobago have not forgotten the decade over which he presided. Before lecturing anyone about leadership, fairness or competence, he should first answer for the legacy his administration left behind.
For ten years, citizens watched violent crime spiral to unprecedented levels. Families buried loved ones at an alarming rate while criminals appeared to grow bolder. Many communities felt abandoned, and countless citizens questioned whether the Government had lost control of the country’s security situation. That is the record history will remember.
His administration also faced sustained criticism over economic management. Businesses struggled, foreign exchange shortages frustrated manufacturers and consumers alike, and many young people questioned whether they had a future in Trinidad and Tobago. Public confidence steadily declined as promises of prosperity gave way to uncertainty.
What many citizens also remember was an administration that often appeared dismissive of criticism. Instead of acknowledging public frustration, critics were frequently portrayed as the problem rather than the issues they raised. Leadership requires accountability, not defensiveness.
Now Rowley seeks to portray himself as the defender of democracy and good governance. Yet many citizens remember his years in office very differently. They remember rising crime, economic hardship, growing public frustration and a government that, in their view, too often failed to inspire confidence.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar is right to remind the nation that governments must ultimately be judged by results. Her administration has made crime reduction its central priority, and if the reported downward trends continue, that is something every law-abiding citizen should welcome regardless of political affiliation. The public wants safer communities, not endless political grandstanding.
No leader is above scrutiny, including the current Prime Minister. But there is a profound difference between constructive criticism and selective memory. Rowley cannot erase ten years of public dissatisfaction simply by issuing statements from the sidelines.
The country remembers. Families who lived through those years remember. Victims of crime remember.
The loudest critic today is the very man who had a decade to deliver the change he now demands of others. Trinidad and Tobago deserves honest debate based on facts, accountability and results, not attempts to rewrite history.
Maraval
