Analyst: Kamla’s ‘buss head’ speech was unexpected but strong

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, centre, with former West Indies Cricketer Dwayne Bravo and senior government ministers at a UNC Monday Night Forum at Camden Hall, Couva, on August 11. - Innis Francis

POLITICAL analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath said he was surprised by many aspects of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s “buss head” speech at a UNC Monday Night Forum in Couva on August 11 to mark the party’s 100-day anniversary since taking office after the April 28 general election. However, he said the speech projected her as a strong leader.

Persad-Bissessar said certain people in her party have been seen cavorting in hotels with dubious political financiers linked to the former PNM. She alleged corruption in the Ministry of Works and said an unnamed minister had been approached by a land developer who said a bank was funding his purchase of land and construction of a building to be rented back to the lender. The PM also sought to link the now-suspended Cepep programme to corruption, criminality and worker exploitation including sexual abuse as she dubbed it “another kind of slavery.”

The opposition has alleged gross hardship among some 20,000 people now on the breadline after the firing of Cepep and reforestation workers upon these programmes’ closure.

Newsday asked if the speech had portrayed Persad-Bissessar as a strong leader who was aware of goings-on and ready to confront them, or as a weak leader under whom corruption has begun.

Ragoonath said, “Basically the reaction I got from the speech last night is that it was a powerful speech.

“The idea here of pushing people to go beyond ‘make work’ programmes but to get sustainable jobs, that was one of the key issues that I picked up.

“To be honest with you, it was not the speech that I was expecting. I expected she would be breaking some stories, breaking some files so to speak.

“I expected she would come out there now and say ‘These are some of the things we have found’ and in a way point fingers to either the public bureaucracy or somebody else undermining her government from achieving all that they want to achieve.”

However, Ragoonath said Persad-Bissessar had in fact raised critical issues such as UNC honchoes cavorting with members of the “One Per Cent.”

“I don’t know which members of her government she would have been referring to. But clearly that is an issue that every government that comes into office will have to deal with.”

He said certain privileged individuals would always wish to use their wealth to try to push certain ministers to act in a particular way.

“That is probably what she would have recognised.

“I am not sure exactly who are the ministers. I know she did mention the Hyatt and I know there were certain ministers who in her previous regime had hung out at the Hyatt.

“I don’t know if it is the same people or anything like that.”

Ragoonath said this was a critical issue for Persad-Bissessar to have to deal with.

“She came across last night not as weak but rather as strong.”

He said Persad-Bissessar had said there were challenges she had to deal with.

Ragoonath noted her reference to herself as “Kamla 2.0”, different to her first incarnation as prime minister in 2010-2015.

He said she said she had learnt her lesson from that period.”

Ragoonath said in these utterances, by saying challenges exist and how she will deal with then, the PM now “comes across as strong.”

Ragoonath recalled the PM revealing a businessman seeking land, on the premise of him having a bank promise of a loan and then to rent back the property from him.

“It is known to have happened in past regimes.”

Ragoonath said under past administrations the then governments had bought properties and then leased it back to the vendors at very cheap prices.

“It happened in Trinidad and in Tobago.

“The government has to be very wary and find mechanisms to deal with it, to ensure it doesn’t undermine the whole process of government for the country.”

Ragoonath noted Persad-Bissessar had lamented party supporters being sidelined despite helping the UNC get into government.

“I think she was speaking to her supporters and letting them know she will not let the base of her party be ignored.”

He noted some criticism about the selection of board members, but said the new government likely wanted to reward its long-time supporters.

Of her speech, Ragoonath remarked, “I think there are other messages inside there that we have to be wary of.”