Public backlash builds as Rowley Questions Crime Laws and claims double standard
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago — Former prime minister Keith Rowley has drawn sharp criticism from a political analyst after Rowley Questions Crime Laws and claimed he was held to a higher standard than the current Prime Minister in his first public comments for the new year, while warning that the Government’s crime legislation is dangerous and divisive.
Rowley argued that statements recently made by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar would not have been tolerated had he made them while in office. He said he was satisfied that he met the elevated standards expected of him during his tenure.
He also cautioned that new crime-fighting legislation could stigmatize communities, strip law-abiding citizens of entrenched rights, and grant law enforcement unsupervised authority without sufficient parliamentary oversight. Rowley warned that such measures could foster abuse and deepen resentment within society.
Political analyst Shane Mohammed forcefully rejected Rowley’s assertions, describing the former prime minister’s remarks as disconnected from his own record in office.
“Keith Rowley has lost his mind,” Mohammed said, questioning whether the former prime minister had forgotten what he described as repeated rants delivered from the podium of the Office of the Prime Minister during his decade in power.
Mohammed accused Rowley of consistently speaking down to the population and insulting media practitioners while presiding over what he characterized as a prolonged escalation in crime without a clear or effective plan. He described Rowley’s leadership style as divisive, segregative, and authoritarian, and said it contributed to political decline and economic stagnation.
Mohammed said criticism of Rowley’s decade in office has been well documented, citing previous criticism of Rowley.
“I give credit where it is due, and KCR deserves no credit on his behaviour,” Mohammed said.
He alleged that the former administration’s approach fueled social division, accelerated brain drain, entrenched inequities in access to opportunity, and failed to deliver meaningful economic growth over the decade, despite repeated references to recession and recovery.
Mohammed also defended Persad-Bissessar against claims that she had insulted citizens, saying her references to lawlessness, the need for behavioural change, and the need to shift national attitudes and mindsets were factual and necessary.
“Did she lie?” Mohammed asked, arguing that calls for behavioural and cultural change are essential if the country is to move in a different direction.
He added that the Prime Minister had not spoken down to or insulted the media, contrasting her posture with what he described as the former administration’s treatment of the fourth estate.
While conceding that Persad-Bissessar’s tone may be forceful, Mohammed said it was necessary at this stage, noting that the current administration has been in office for only nine months.
“There are those who expect miracles, and there are those who, no matter what this administration does, good, bad, or indifferent, will still say it is bad,” he said.
Mohammed concluded by calling for a national shift toward innovative thinking and collaborative leadership, stressing that responsibility for change does not rest solely with the Government.
“The onus is on all, citizens, institutions, and leaders alike, not just the administration,” he said.
This report is based on information originally published by PPSL News 24/7.
