Political Leader of the United National Congress, Kamla Persad Bissessar, is today accusing her main political opponent, Dr. Keith Rowley, of using the race card to make her look bad in front of voters.

Social media went into an uproar on Thursday night, widely circulating a clip from the UNC leader’s address at the party’s virtual meeting, in which Persad-Bissesar was interpreted to have referred to the Prime Minister as “the black man over there”.

Dr. Rowley was among many who reposted the clip, calling the comment an example of Mrs. Persad Bissessar’s “disgusting race baiting”.

But in a response on Friday morning, the UNC leader insisted her words had been mistaken. 

“The term used – which, to be clear, was “blank man” in reference to Dr Rowley’s complete lack of ideas, vision or plan. Indeed, it’s also a reference to his entire term in office which is blank,” she said, adding that “this is politics at its lowest and most dangerous since Keith Rowley risks inciting racial discord in Trinidad and Tobago because of his reckless statements.”

See the clip which started the controversy below: