TT PM Under Pressure To Sack Minister

PORT OF SPAIN-Trinidad, Mar 31, CMC – Less than a week after she dismissed her Minister of the Peoples and Social Development Glen Ramadharsingh, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar is being asked to dismiss yet another of her ministers.

While she has so far remained silent on the issue, calls have come from the Congress of the People (COP) party, the second biggest partner in the coalition People’s Partnership government for Tourism Minister Chandresh Sharma to either resign or be fired over allegations that he assaulted a woman at a car park.

COP Leader Prakash Ramadhar, who is also the Legal Affairs Minister, said that the party hopes the media reports about the incident involving the minister are untrue.

“Notwithstanding that, the COP has been consistent in its position that where serious allegations are made against senior public officials, as in the case of former Minister Jack Warner, such persons should remove themselves from office until the allegations are properly investigated and resolved. Alternatively, they should be removed from office.

“Consequently, the COP calls on Minister Sharma to tender his resignation from the Cabinet until his name is cleared. In the absence of the Minister’s resignation, the COP expects that the Prime Minister, Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, will move with alacrity, as she has done in the past, to preserve the integrity of her administration and of the institutions of State,” Ramadhar said in a brief statement.

Media reports said that Sharma, 54, had assaulted the 30 year-old managing director of a security firm, Sacha Singh with whom he reportedly hard a relationship.