3 months ago
17
Senior Reporter
While one political analyst believes Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s criticisms of the COVID-19 vaccine are irrelevant, another analyst says her comments may have been based on public feedback.
On Monday, Persad-Bissessar encouraged her supporters to sue their employers if they experienced health issues after being forced to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Government had previously slammed Persad-Bissessar over her attacks on its management of the pandemic, but she doubled down on her claims of “fake” COVID-19 vaccines during the party’s latest meeting.
Responding to this, political analyst Dr Indira Rampersad said these claims may have some truth to them. She said it was possible Persad-Bissessar may have received complaints from her constituents.
As for those affected, Dr Rampersad said they had the right to take legal action but admitted there may be some challenges in doing so.
Dr Rampersad said, “I think Persad-Bissessar may have also been receiving some kind of complaints from her constituents. There are these debates going around. “They are going around globally about these people who died from COVID and specifically who died from the vaccine, but the logistics of doing it though may be difficult, since they’re long buried or burnt as the case may be. I know persons who still have effects, and they are claiming it’s from the vaccine. However, to prove that is from the vaccine might be difficult. Whether this is going to sway an electorate is a different question.”
However, political analyst Dr Shane Mohammed is calling Persad-Bissessar’s anti-vaccine claims “irrelevant and dated.” He told Guardian Media this is not what the population cared to hear about from those in authority.
Mohammed said, “It is dated. It is not relevant. It is not a relevant or a pertinent issue that touches and concerns the lives of Trinbagonians going forward. We acknowledge that there was a pandemic. Yes, there were experimental drugs that were approved for emergency use, and there’s acknowledgement by all companies that produced the drugs that there would have been certain difficulties that persons would have experienced as a result of the drug.
“I’m not too sure about people being forced to be vaccinated. I think at the end of the day, the choice to be vaccinated was always theirs. I think at this stage of the discussion, there has to be a conversation that is advancing the conversation beyond its current status quo, beyond the current socio-economic standing. Plans and proposals that are going to improve the lives of Trinbagonians from the very bottom of the social strata all the way across and that is the kind of the discussions that Trinidadians and Tobagonians want to hear from the leader of the Opposition.”
On the conversations that should be undertaken at this point in time, he said, “They want to know that there are plans in place to rejuvenate the economy, to drive diversification, to be able to improve healthcare, to improve public services, to improve the cost of living, to add value to their salaries that then trickle down into increased purchasing power in the supermarkets and in the pharmacies and in the markets. We call that the bread-and-butter issues that concern the people.”
Guardian Media also reached out to political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath on the issue. While he did not respond to Persad-Bissessar’s claims, he said anything was expected from politicians during this time.
He said, “We are heading into an election, and I expect any and everything coming from the politicians in order to try to wipe up support from amongst the population.”
English (US) ·