Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar failed to show up at Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day celebrations held across the country yesterday because she was ill.
Minister of National Diversity and Social Integration Clifton De Coteau took up the mantle and stood in her stead before the congregation at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, where the turnout was relatively small.
The Sunday Express spoke with De Coteau, the only Government Minister who attended the event at the Savannah, after he gave the members of the Spiritual Baptist faith a lesson in history and before he left the Savannah to attend similar celebrations in Maloney, where he was also scheduled to represent the Prime Minister.
“Well, the Prime Minister is ill as you are aware, she is down with the virus and in spite of being down with the virus she was out yesterday, when we had the blackout, and that shows her leadership and love for country,” said De Coteau.
“To see that she actually dragged herself out to see what was the source of the problem…we really have to commend our Prime Minister for that.”
He said looking at the pictures of her at the PowerGen facility in Penal, which were sent out by the Government to the media, she appears to be very pale and so it is obvious she needs rest. he said.
Persad-Bissessar visited the Penal sub-station in the wee hours of Friday morning with Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine to determine the cause of the nationwide blackout.
