PNM Tobago Council political leader Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis has called on Government to stop its intimidation tactics in the Parliament towards staff members.
Cudjoe-Lewis made the call on Thursday during a news conference held at the Tobago Council Office in Scarborough. She was responding to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s claim in Parliament last week Monday that she and several other members of the PNM, including former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley and Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, were on a Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) “protected list” of individuals whose electricity supply could not be disconnected.
“The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) had to write to the Prime Minister to ask her why she not coming and talk to the people and that is what the Prime Minister want to take the Parliamentary time to do?” she said.
Cudjoe-Lewis said she is not aware of being on any protection list at T&TEC.
“I have never asked anyone to put me on any list, I have never known of any such list. I have paid every single one of my bills since I have been a woman. Since I have been an adult I have been getting bills. Even before an adult I have been getting bills. As a teenager getting Internet bills and I’m telling you my bills are usually in credit,” she said.
Cudjoe-Lewis also said she does not have to be on anyone’s “cut list”.
“So nobody can’t cut me I don’t need to be on anybody’s cut list and I speak on behalf of my PNM colleagues also the former prime minister showed you his bills, (Opposition Chief Whip) Marvin Gonzales made a statement (that) nobody asks anybody to be on any list,” she said.
She questioned what about the Tobago House of Assembly and their protection of disconnection list.
“We may want to speak from even right here in Tobago we have members of the Assembly who write T&TEC in recent times asking them not to cut people. What are we to say about that?” she asked.
Cudjoe-Lewis criticised the Prime Minister for raising the protection list issue in Parliament.
“A total waste of our time and why people are so silent and what about the intimidation, you see the intimidation and the tactics that young man in the Parliament had to undergo, that is what people are afraid of,” Cudjoe-Lewis said.
She was referencing an incident in the Lower House on June 12 where Leader of Government Business Barry Padarath photographed a technician following complaints that the microphones of government members were being muted. The Opposition called for a criminal investigation into his conduct but Padarath, speaking with reporters outside Parliament last week Monday, denied any intimidation and insisted the photograph was taken solely to identify the staff member involved in an ongoing dispute over microphones being muted during parliamentary proceedings.
The former MP said she is standing with the parliamentary staff who were taken to task by Padarath for alleged muting of mics.
“Don’t intimidate Parliament staff. I stand with that young man and I stand with every professional who show up daily and they work late in the night to support the parliament, the most apolitical people you could ever meet, that was a dark day in our democracy and we have to keep that matter alive and well,” she stressed.
Cudjoe-Lewis questioned why the Prime Minister is continuing to not attend news conferences to be questioned.
“So I am not going to be distracted by the Prime Minister’s foolery—you understand what I’m saying—because the Prime Minister has a country to run and what the Prime Minister needs to do is appear at press conferences and tell Trinidad and Tobago what is taking place with our business,” she said.
