Prime Minister Patrick Manning has defended his decision to dissolve Parliament 24-hours before a no-confidence motion was expected to be filed against him by the Opposition. Manning, who was speaking to reporters on day two of the screening process at Balisier House in Port-of-Spain on Thursday night, said he answered the Opposition calls by facilitating them with a general election. "The purpose of a no-confidence motion is to precede a general election. The method the Opposition was using to bring about a general election could not succeed, so I said I will facilitate it with a general election.
"Once we facilitated the general election there is no need for the motion of no- confidence. Not only that, but we have to guard against people on the eve of a general election using parliamentary privilege to slander those of us in the Government. If they wish to make talk, they are now free to do it outside of the Parliament. My battery of lawyers are standing by." The prime minister also maintained he was well within his right to question sacked Diego Martin West MP Keith Rowley on an alleged $10 million discrepancy arising out of the controversial Cleaver Heights project. The findings of the Uff Report, Manning said, vindicated his decision.
Manning said: "The Uff commission has also clearly justified the position taken by the prime minister in raising the discrepancy of $10 million in the contract of the Cleaver Heights project. In addition, the report also stated that the discrepancy may not have been discovered at the Housing Development Corporation but in NHIC they discovered it and attempts were made to falsify invoices. "If it had not been for the statement of the prime minister, $10 million could have been paid. I asked a question to Dr Rowley as the minister responsible at that time. We now have an answer." Asked whether Rowley will be facing the screening committee over the weekend, Manning quipped: "It is coming up as night follows day. As of now I have not checked to see who have been nominated for the seat." Meanwhile, Manning who is keeping the election date close to the chest, said he would reveal the date when he thinks its "propitious to do so."