Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said yesterday she was not taken by surprise when Senate vice-president Lyndira Oudit resigned from the United National Congress and her senatorial post. “When you get to be my age, expect anything,” Persad-Bissessar said in a brief interview with reporters after she formally commissioned the $56 million Siparia market and conference facility. Persad-Bissessar said it was Oudit’s “democratic right to choose a party of her choice or not choose a party.”
“I have no further comment on that matter. She has exercised her democratic right and you would want to ask her further on that,” the PM said. Oudit was once a close ally of Persad-Bissessar. During Persad-Bissessar’s rise to the leadership of the UNC, Oudit put her job in the Parliament on the line to throw her support behind the Siparia MP for party leader. She was axed by then Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday in 2010.
Yesterday, however, Persad-Bissessar refused to say how she felt about Oudit’s resignation. She said instead, “We will deal with each eventuality when they arise. “I am not unduly fearful. There must be some kind of change in the way we do business. I mentioned that today and I will be meeting with party groups and I have been receiving numerous phone calls, e-mails, text messages—a lot of people. A lot of goodwill out there. “We spend some time on introspection and reflection to see what is the way forward.”
Persad-Bissessar denied that her government was haemorrhaging. Oudit’s resignation came on the heels of the resignations of St Joseph MP Herbert Volney and Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner. Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP) chairman Lionel Coker has also tendered his resignation from that party. The PM said: “I have not seen any haemorrhaging of ministers. One minister was already no longer in the Cabinet, one minister resigned, given allegations, as you all know.
“I do not want to go further into that at this time. I do not know of any other minister actually leaving the Cabinet...if it arises I will deal with it,” she said. Persad-Bissesssar also dismissed Opposition calls for her to call a general election. “I have no intention of calling an early election, Insha’Allah (God willing.) We have a mandate for five years and we intend to continue to work to serve the people for five years. So the Opposition call...not new,” she contended.
But Housing Minister Roodal Minister yesterday admitted he was surprised by Oudit’s decision, saying he was not yet sure of the reason for her departure. He said, however, that a replacement for Oudit had not been determined. “These are appointments that are made by the Prime Minister. So we will look forward to another suitable appointment,” he said.
Moonilal also commended Oudit for her performance as Senate vice-president. “I want to wish her all the best. She has done a good job as the vice-president of the Senate. I wish her all the best in her future activities,” he said.