00:00This is a soap opera, an episode from a soap opera you are watching here.
00:06Every day is drama from the government as if they could take attention away from the
00:11issues we are raising, pension, poverty, unemployment, economic decline and collapse.
00:18Urupuj East MP Dr Rudal Munilal during the UNC's pavement report meeting in his constituency
00:25on Tuesday night.
00:26Earlier in the meeting another opposition MP Barry Padarath posed a question regarding
00:31Energy Minister Stuart Young's pending appointment as Prime Minister after Dr Keith Rowley resigns
00:37as the head of the government to go into retirement.
00:40There are a couple of things that I am still committed to doing before I come out of office.
00:45One of which is to attend the CARICOM meeting in Barbados, that is on the 19th of February.
00:56And sometime after that, I would indicate the actual date when I leave, but I am busy
01:04on some matters that I am wrapping up.
01:06This was MP Padarath's question.
01:08I want to ask the Prime Minister from this platform tonight, whether or not it is true
01:15that the administrative arrangements have not been made because there is a process to
01:21be followed and that the administrative arrangements will only be completed at the end of February.
01:29At the end of February, for the Prime Minister and the government to receive the new salary
01:36of $87,000 a month.
01:39This is what Prime Minister Rowley said during his media conference in Tobago on January
01:446th in response to a question from TV6 News about a statement from the MSJ regarding the
01:51recent increases in salaries for many of the nation's highest office holders, including
01:56the office of Prime Minister.
01:58As I leave this post after 45 years in public life, I have held a number of positions including
02:06that of Prime Minister.
02:07I have never once spoken to one person in the Salaries Review Commission about the emoluments
02:18of any position that I hold in Trinidad and Tobago.
02:23Never once have I advocated for, made any submission, and on that score, I am done with
02:31that.
02:32Dr. Munilal made reference to Prime Minister Rowley's revelation that Minister Young won
02:37the majority of a caucus vote by the PNM's elected MPs via a straw poll.
02:42A Prime Minister must be elected by the people.
02:45He or she must represent the will of the people, not in a backroom in Tobago by raising hand
02:53and pulling straw.
02:54The people must appoint you.
02:57MP Munilal urged all of the UNC's members who are eligible to vote to cast their ballots
03:02in the general election due later this year.
03:06Jule Brown, TV6 News.
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