00:00With a crucial CARICOM meeting set for 2 o'clock this afternoon to address Trinidad and Tobago's concerns over the
00:07country's absence when the critical vote was taken to re-elect Secretary General of CARICOM Dr. Carla Barnett, the opposition
00:15leader is questioning whether Trinidad and Tobago would be properly represented.
00:20She says she does not expect the Prime Minister to attend, pointing to recent developments involving regional leaders.
00:27I don't feel the Prime Minister will attend.
00:30Beckles noted that the Chairman Dr. Drew visited TNT to personally invite the Prime Minister to the then-upcoming Heads
00:37of Government meeting.
00:38He had a courtesy call with the Prime Minister and was welcomed to one such sitting of the lower house.
00:45And they came to the Parliament and we need some of the desks and we welcome the Secretary General and
00:50we welcome the Chair.
00:51And if you recall, shortly after becoming the Prime Minister, she will attend the first meeting and the comments that
00:57the Prime Minister made about CARICOM, I think she's going to put herself in a very difficult position.
01:02The opposition leader argues that high-level engagement from CARICOM officials makes any absence by the Prime Minister difficult to
01:10justify.
01:11The Prime Minister is very coward. She's been very coward.
01:14And she's just as how she's hiding from the press, she's now hiding from CARICOM.
01:19Because we have to remind ourselves, the Prime Minister went and there was a meeting with Rubio.
01:24Following that meeting with Rubio, the Prime Minister left.
01:27So the fact of the matter, with all what you are saying, because you are literally accusing all the other
01:34heads of State of Lying, that's what you're doing.
01:36I mean, how are you going to face them? How are you going to face them?
01:39Despite the controversy, she underscores the importance of CARICOM to TNT, highlighting trade, education and regional cooperation.
01:49Meanwhile, Beckles dismissed claims by Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister Sean Sobers that the opposition is colluding with CARICOM.
01:57Well, one has to assume if he's going to make such a statement, but he should then provide the evidence
02:03of that.
02:04I mean, even for argument's sake, you know, you've got a copy of the agenda or something.
02:09If there's nothing to hide, if you don't have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be worried about something like that.
02:13And as tensions escalate, she's also responding to threats of legal action coming from the Foreign Affairs Minister.
02:20And therefore, if he's threatening legal action, let's wait and see. Let's wait and see. I mean, we are waiting
02:26patiently.
02:27The Prime Minister has not yet confirmed whether she has attended the CARICOM meeting.
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