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POLITICAL analysts Dr Bishnu Ragoonath, Dr Winford James and Shane Mohammed on Monday said there is nothing wrong with the Prime Minister using social media to either criticise his government’s political opponents.
They also believe he can use the medium to express views on issues such as Venezuelan migrants and the responses of groups like the Organisation of American States (OAS) to such matters.
Ragoonath said Dr Rowley is following what other politicians such as US President Donald Trump is doing.
“I think the Prime Minister is simply trying to follow the lead that has been set by others. He observed there has been a trend across the world in recent times of politicians using various methods of communication, including social media, to get their views across. It is not unusual.”
Ragoonath said Rowley is free to post whatever he wants on his Facebook or Twitter accounts. But he believes Rowley should be more circumspect about the kind of information which is posted on the Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) social media pages.
As a politician, Ragoonath continued, one of Rowley’s main objectives is to make his political opponents look bad, regardless of whether they criticised him or not. He admitted to have been a little taken aback recently when statements expressing condolences on the murder of 18-year-old Ashanti Riley and criticising the UNC and OAS on Venezuelan migrants were merged together on the OPM’s Facebook page.
The post was removed and Rowley apologised for it, explaining that the statements were supposed to have been issued separately.
James said, “There is no law that forbids the Prime Minister from using Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.”
He added, Rowley has become aware that he can use various social media platforms to reach a wider audience in addition to “the traditional platform of a news conference.”
“Instagram, Twitter and the others are old platforms really now. I don’t know if he uses his WhatsApp but he may wish to go there as well.”
Observing that Trump has not only used social media to criticise his opponents but fire US government officials as well, James said, “I don’t know that Rowley has that kind of diversity of purpose.”
He also said one would expect Rowley “to do the right thing and do it in the right way when you communicate.” James said this includes being truthful and not defaming anybody.
Focusing on Rowley’s comments on social media criticising the UNC and OAS about Venezuelan migrants, Mohammed said he agreed with them.
“Our Prime Minister has to stand up and protect the sovereignty of TT.
“The man is Prime Minister of TT, and anybody who is not prime minister can say anything. But they should be able to understand that as the Prime Minister, you are the guardian of the sovereignty of the people of TT and you have to act to protect that.”
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