(TrinidadGuardian)This country is suffering from “Battered Wife Syndrome” due to the PNM Government, Karen Nunez-Tesheira claimed yesterday, as she resigned from the PNM saying her former party needs to be put out of office.
However, while she said she’s not going to be on a UNC platform ahead of the Local Government Elections, Nunez-Tesheira admitted she is examining her political options and aims on a political career.
She added that she’s not saying the alternatives to PNM are “wonderful” but if they’re necessary to save T&T, “so be it.”
A onetime Finance Minister under the Patrick Manning PNM government, Nunez-Tesheira last November lost her attempt at securing the PNM leadership from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley in the party’s internal party election. In the four-way race, Rowley got 8,424 votes, Nunez-Tesheira 345, Ronald Boynes 243 and Junior Barrack 99. Prior to PNM elections, she was at UNC events speaking against the Government.
Yesterday, Nunez-Tesheira sent a resignation letter to PNM general secretary Foster Cummings, formally notifying of her resignation with immediate effect.
Nunez-Tesheira, in the PNM since the 1990s, was asked about her reason for leaving now with the Local Government election campaign climaxing. She said she’d pondered it a while and it had to do with how the Government had treated citizens “which reached a point where silence isn’t an option.”
She said it reminded her of the Battered Wife Syndrome involving coercive control not so much regarding the impact on the recipient by the perpetrator, but more the recipient’s response to the conduct. She accused Government of an, “unabated barrage of behaviour involving gaslighting a feeling that you’re worthless, a cockroach, termite and don’t take responsibility for your behaviour, putting the misconduct on victims, leaving them feeling worthless and trying to make the perpetrator seem like they’re offering protection.”
Claiming the Government was a “creeping dictatorship” and “democracy is under threat,” Nunez-Tesheira listed the Brent Thomas issue, the former AG’s fallout with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, the new AG being blocked by US courts in the Piarco Airport case; the Privy Council’s ruling on the LG term extension; many procurement law amendments, two ministers’ many recusals from matters where there was conflict of interest, Rowley’s calling a state of emergency for COVID and ending it for Tobago polls as areas of mismanagement.
She claimed there’s a “mess in the economy with natural gas, income inequality, guns and drugs entering T&T.”
Nunez-Tesheira added, “How many things must this Government do and for people to take this abuse without giving way and saying enough is enough? We’ve got to save T&T! Whether by opening the doors—as the battered wife does and getting out—or we’ll be in a situation beyond saving.
“It’s time for T&T to breathe and get rid of this Government before it’s too late. It’s not in T&T’s interest to allow them back in office, as they’ve showed who they are—lack of respect for democracy. LG elections has always been the way to give an indication of what to expect.”
Nunez-Tesheira, who’s voting Monday said she won’t be on UNC’s platforms, but added, “I’m not saying I won’t join a party. We’ll see. I’m examining options. I won’t be an armchair critic, I’ll keep speaking. But this (resignation) is the first necessary step towards an independent political career.
“There are a number of parties … whether coalition. I’m not saying the alternatives are wonderful but if they’re necessary to save T&T—and if like a battered wife needs time to regroup—so be it. But she has to get out of that ‘house’. We can’t allow them back due to the fear, helplessness and hopelessness here.”
Contacted on the resignation yesterday, Communications Minister Symon de Nobriga said, “I didn’t realise she was still a member. Her resignation is nothing—that’s like saying you’re not attending a function to which you weren’t invited.”
Analysts: Departure won’t affect LG campaign
Political analyst Dr Indira Rampersad yesterday said while Nunez-Tesheira’s resignation is not surprising, it will not impact the LGE, even if she joins another party.
“She’s clearly not happy with the status quo and she contested against the leader, so she’s not happy with the leadership of the PNM and that is quite clear. We don’t know if she’s aiming to go to another political party but if she does, in the general elections is where it will have the impact,” Rampersad said.
Rampersad said it was, however, entirely possible that Nunez-Tesheira’s resignation could cause a domino effect with her supporters, as they too can withdraw their membership from the PNM.
However, another analyst, Derek Ramsamooj, held the opposite view.
“Sadly, it will not have any impact, not just in the Local Government Election, but in the running of the People’s National Movement. For this resignation to have an impact on the wider national body, you have to understand whether or not the outgoing Karen Nunez-Tesheira has any sort of public standing among the electorate. While there may be professional public standing, political public standing is a completely different dimension,” he said.
He also pointed out that her integrity can be called into question if she switches to an opposing political party.
“Moving from one political party to another political party will raise questions about your public integrity and your political posturing when it comes to certain specific policies,” he said.