Is Moonilal baiting Trump?

FORMER speaker Nizam Mohammed has questioned whether a letter from Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal to the US Ambassador to TT was meant to bait US President Donald Trump.

Writing to the US ambassador as he did was reckless, crazy and to be condemned, said Mohammed.

He said Moonilal’s inability to find a way to raise the issue in Parliament showed he was “slothful.”

Last Monday Moonilal sought to bring a definite matter of urgent public importance on the use of infrastructural capacity in the energy sector to facilitate an “illegal trade” of fuel to Venezuela which TT had originally sold to Aruba. He said the matter could lead to dire economic sanctions being imposed on US energy companies and manufacturing companies operating in TT.

Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George said she was not satisfied the matter qualified under the standing order.

The Prime Minister, in the Parliament on Wednesday, denied any knowledge of TT making any sales to Venezuela. Energy Minister Franklin Khan had said the deal was made with Aruba and Government could not be held responsible for the end user of that product.

Moonilal subsequently wrote to US Ambassador Joseph Mondello on his inability to raise the matter in Parliament and included a copy of the proceedings from the Hansard. Mohammed, in a statement on Monday, said whilst there are reports that this matter is under investigation by the US, Moonilal has written to Mondello and invited him to note the details of his complaint for his “record and contemplation” as he “may see fit.”

Mohammed commented, “This move is both disturbing and puzzling for many reasons and brings Dr Moonilal’s motives in this matter into question. Ours is a sovereign nation and a complaint about our Parliament’s failure to debate any matter is no business of the US. Not even our courts will venture to enquire into the internal operations of our Parliament.

“In any event, the US Embassy has more information about our affairs than Dr Moonilal can imagine. Why does he have to be so patronising?”

Mohammed stressed the standing orders of Parliament provide adequate safeguards to ensure all matters are brought to the table through astute and robust application of these rules by alert members.

“The failure of Dr Moonilal’s attempt must be due to his slothful approach to the task. The Opposition must stop blaming the Speaker and grasp a full understanding of the operations of the standing orders.”

He said with covid19. TT has understandably slipped into a state of near slumber.

“However the purport of Dr Moonilal’s action must not go unnoticed. It must not only be exposed but must also be condemned by anyone with a little bit of national pride.”

He pointed out that the US Ambassador is the eyes and ears of US President Donald Trump and “the latter’s actions at times have been described as irrational.”

“Is Dr Moonilal baiting such irrationality? Does he represent the official position of the Opposition on foreign affairs policy which is clearly in opposition to the Government’s position?

“This is not only an act of recklessness, but it’s simply crazy. God forbid, should the US contemplate anything inimical to the interest of TT citizens in this guava season, will the Opposition claim victory against the people? Is that in consonance with the oath of office they have all taken?

“We are a small nation but we are a sovereign state and anyone who wants to condemn us to our smallness should be stopped, be he member of Parliament or whoever.”