PRESIDENT Christine Kangaloo did not travel to accept a recent award from India because of concerns she may have to step into the current prime ministerial issue.
Sources at President’s House said the Head of State considered it prudent to remain in Trinidad and Tobago amid the scenario over Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley’s impending retirement.
This is an indication of the concerns at the highest office during a brief period of uncertainty and unease.
Some commentators suggested that with an initial division among the 21 PNM Members of Parliament, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar commanded more support among House of Representatives members.
The sources said President’s House monitored the split among Government MPs, and the likely relevance to Section 70 of the Constitution.
That section deals with the appointment of a prime minister based on the elected member who commands the support of the most number of Members of Parliament.
Kangaloo was reportedly more engrossed with the issue of the prime ministership than the matters pertaining to the current State of Emergency, according to informed sources.
She opted to remain in T&T instead of attending the three-day event in Odisha.
Eventually, all Government MPs supported Stuart Young to succed Rowley, easing concerns at President’s House.
Kangaloo was a guest at this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in India, the 18th such event
She and 26 others were conferred with India’s highest honour for overseas Indians, called the Samman Award.
The President addressed the conference digitally and expressed regret at not being in India.
She spoke of the contribution of Indians to building T&T.
If she had attended the conference, Kangaloo would have been presented with the award by India’s President Droupadi Murmu.
Other awardees were successful international personalities in science, arts, education, politics, community service, business and other fields.
Former T&T politicians Basdeo Panday and Winston Dookeran were given similar awards in the early staging of the conference.
This year’s awardees included a Guyanese and Barbadian
