By Lara Pickford-Gordon Friday, April 25 2008

“We ain’t taking that so!” was the outraged declaration of constituents of Member of Parliament for Diego Martin West, Dr Keith Rowley responding to his firing as Minister of Trade and Industry on Wednesday.

Constituents questioned Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s reason for taking such an action to the detriment of the party. Manning’s apparent siding with Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) chairman Calder Hart against a longstanding member of the PNM also angered constituents. Rowley won the Diego Martin West seat with 9,221 votes and has been the MP for the area for the past 22 years.

At a media briefing on Wednesday night at his constituency office on La Horquette Valley Road, Glencoe, Rowley explained that objections he raised concerning the way Udecott was conducting its business resulted in his dismissal.

A representative of the office yesterday said the constituency executive had to discuss “what is the next step.”

The office has been receiving calls from supporters of Rowley asking “what is going to take place within the constituency.”

Residents of Carenage expressed strong support for Rowley. Margo Thomas, of Haig Street, who described herself as one of Rowley’s frontline supporters used colourful language to say Manning should go.

“The PNM belongs to the people. We never vote for Calder Hart, or Lenny Saith. Dr Rowley did not do anything wrong,” she said. Saith has replaced Rowley as Minister of Trade and Industry.

Carlon Johnson, of School Street, said constituents feel betrayed by Manning’s action.

“Is he saying an elected member has no say in the affairs of the country to stand up to Calder Hart? Dr Rowley was seeking the people’s interest in how taxpayers money is spent. He asked important questions and he was fired,” Johnson said.

At a fish depot, Anthony Hussey, of Haig Street, gave a “youth’s view.” He said Rowley had done much to help unemployed youths get jobs. Hussey said there was a “war” among different areas of Carenage but work programmes in the community reached out to youths and combatted the “negative vibes”.

Montie James of Glencoe, expected trouble for the PNM with Rowley’s firing.

James surmised that with issues like food and crime demanding attention Rowley may have questioned the construction of a hotel at the Princes Building Grounds.

Residents of Richplain, Diego Martin had mixed views.

An elderly resident wanted to know “What happen to Manning? What he fire Rowley for?”

A pet store owner on the Diego Martin Main Road, who would only give the name Larry, said some people were upset but he was not bothered and had to continue trying to earn a living.

The pet store owner said, “Manning and Rowley don’t give me anything. I have to live. I going back to planting food to earn money and have something to eat.”