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THE Prime Minister has admitted he lost his cool in Parliament last week when he responded by Opposition MP Rodney Charles and his reference to Guyana and Barbados was not meant to disrespect the Caricom countries.
Speaking at a media conference on Saturday at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Dr Rowley said his comments were directed to Charles when he suggested that politicians go and live there.
“I was speaking about Rodney Charles of TT and where he wants to go. That has nothing to do with Guyana because Rodney Charles goes to places that have nothing to do with Guyana.
“I must admit, I did lose my cool at that moment because when Rodney Charles comes and plays adviser to me and TT, it ruts my gut.”
He said during Charles’ time as a diplomat at the United Nations in New York, his meeting with a French political party’s leader Marine Le Pen was offensive because of what the party stood for.
Rowley said Charles owed TT an apology for that meeting because it went against this country’s international image.
“So offensive was that campaign and the persons associated with it that she was not even able to get the French diplomats to host her because the French people did not want to associate with the nature of that campaign. She was not able to meet with a single diplomat in New York, except Rodney Charles of TT.
“I found that to be offensive, I continue to find that Rodney Charles should apologise to the people of TT who sold out our public image for a plate of food. To come now in Parliament and behave the way he is behaving and seeking to stoke division between in TT, Guyana and Barbados and whoever else is just provoking.”
Rowley said Charles's claims of his relationship with former Guyana president David Granger was uncalled for, as his administration does not interfere in the politics of any country. His reference was to Guyana’s 2020 national elections.
He said Charles's claims that he was not friendly with the current Guyana Government because of his alleged relations with the past administration were also false.
“We spent three days in Guyana seeking to part the population that was going at each other’s throats around an election result.”
“I want to say something to the people of Guyana and TT...I act respectfully and co-operatively with every Caricom head. Every one of them I regard as my colleague and the record will show that I chaired Caricom and some of the most far-reaching consequences had to be dealt with during my stewardship.
“When Rodney Charles gets up to make that kind of statement to mislead the people of TT and Guyana, and Caricom, I take serious offence.”
Last week the PM lashed out at Charles after he raised concerns about his non-attendance to International Energy Conference and Expo in Guyana in February to which Rowley said TT was adequately represented.
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