Sandy apology "rubbish", shows PNM as a racist party

Reginald Dumas: "It will send the message that the PNM was a racist party,"

Reginald Dumas is not buying the apology by Hilton Sandy that his "Calcutta ship" remark was political picong.

The former Head of the Public Service said the statement was "racist and it will negatively affect the PNM nationally." 

Sandy made the statement during a political meeting. He told supporters a Calcutta ship would take over the island if the PNM lost the January 21 Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election. He has since apologised.

Dumas described Sandy's apology as "rubbish" and added: "It was a racist statement. It was not a statement any responsible politician in this country should make." 

He noted that race "has been pushed in Tobago over the past several months before the election date was announced" and added that many people in Tobago share that view. 

Dumas said Sandy was "This racially divisive message being sent is not good for the country and said Rowley should have denounced Sandy’s remarks immediately Sandy spoke. 

He said the message is that the PNM has not changed over the decades. "It will send the message that the PNM was a racist party," he said.

Dumas suggested that Sandy's political fortunes would not be affected by the racist remark but added that if the PNM wins the election it could have problems when dealing with members of the East Indian community.