Sacked government minister Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh is expected to occupy a new seat in Parliament when it meets this afternoon. It will be the first sitting since he was sacked on Tuesday. Sources said up to yesterday preparations were being finalised for the new seating arrangements to be effected today. He is expected to be relegated to the government backbench as he no longer holds a ministerial portfolio. Ramadharsingh said yesterday he remained loyal and fully committed to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Persad-Bissessar asked the President to revoke Ramadharsingh’s Cabinet appointment after he allegedly behaved inappropriately towards a Caribbean Airlines flight attendant while returning home from Tobago days earlier.
The incident is still being investigated by police. Ramadharsingh sounded upbeat in his conversation with the T&T Guardian yesterday. He did not want to comment in detail about his dismissal. He stressed his continued support for “the Prime Minister, the Government and the partnership. “I am okay,” he said. Ramadharsingh has not been to his former office since Tuesday and was not at his constituency office yesterday. Many of his former Cabinet colleagues have expressed sadness over his premature departure but have also said the action of the Prime Minister in removing him was the right thing to do. Supporters of Ramadharsingh are expected to protest against his sacking outside Parliament today but sources close to him said yesterday he was not in favour of the move. The protest is expected to take place simultaneously with a protest mounted by Opposition leader Dr Keith Rowley and PNM supporters against the Government.