Beckles slams Kamla over response to military base questions

Senior Reporter

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is not above questioning or beyond accountability, says Opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) leader Pennelope Beckles.

T&T also cannot consider itself well represented by a prime minister who demonstrates public disdain for various matters, including flagrant disregard for the concerns and questions of the population, she added.

“I remind the Prime Minister that she holds office at the will of the people. She is not above questioning. She is not beyond accountability. This country does not belong to any one individual. It belongs to the people of Trinidad and Tobago, and we deserve honesty, transparency and respect,” Beckles added yesterday.

The PNM leader was commenting on Persad-Bissessar’s statements yesterday in the T&T Guardian, in response to the photograph and story of what appeared to be a US military base set up near the ANR Robinson International Airport in Crown Point, Tobago.

The Prime Minister said the picture is self-explanatory and there is a radar at the site with the support offices to operate it. She went on to accuse this media house and the PNM of “appearing obsessed” with getting the “radar and the Americans out of the country.”

When pressed further to confirm whether the structure in the photo would qualify as a military base, Persad-Bissessar again accused this media house of assisting the PNM in their bid for the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) elections and sharply dismissed the question, saying, “Please stop wasting my time with this nonsense. Feel free to send any questions on sensible issues in the future. Have a wonderful evening.”

Yesterday, however, Beckles said answers and accountability are needed from the Prime Minister.

“I warned the nation that the actions of the Prime Minister and her call for Trinbagonians to ‘behave yuhself’ are beginning to resemble the conduct of a dictator rather than a leader who respects accountability and democratic scrutiny. As this matter continues, that concern has only grown stronger,” she said.

“Her (Persad-Bissessar’s) response in the Guardian that ‘the picture is self-explanatory’ leaves the country with more questions than answers. Citizens should not have to go on a hunt for information that rightfully belongs to them, especially when the issue touches national security and sovereignty. Leadership requires openness, not dismissiveness.”

Beckles said when pressed to explain whether what was in the picture was a military base, the Prime Minister chose instead to attack the PNM.

“That response was reckless and irresponsible. Even more disturbing was her suggestion that genuine questions from the public are a waste of her time and mere nonsense. That attitude reflects contempt for the very people she is meant to serve,” she said.

“No Trinbagonian is obsessed but rather concerned. We are asking for clarity on a matter of national importance. What deepens the unease is the constantly shifting narrative. One day the story changes, the next day the tone changes. This inconsistency erodes trust and fuels uncertainty.”

Beckles said it is “…also deeply troubling that the Chief Secretary, who was promised Tobago autonomy, appears to have been left in the dark on matters that should be shared as a matter of respect and protocol.”

“I have always maintained, as every prime minister before has done, that Trinidad and Tobago must respect international law and maintain proper relations with all countries, including the United States. Every T&T prime minister before April 2025 has also accepted the duty of upholding and enhancing the value and importance of Caricom solidarity and contributing to our regional integration movement,” Beckles said.

“Additionally, our nation cannot consider itself well represented by a prime minister who demonstrates public disdain for international law, for the UN Charter, as well as such flagrant disregard for the concerns and questions of the population.”

She added, “We cannot be expected to accept unlawful interference in the affairs of a sovereign nation, particularly when the safety of our country, our people, and our facilities may be placed at risk by the decisions and utterances of the Prime Minister.”