Dr. Asha Kissoon, who has faced backlash from her political partners for refusing to vacate her seat in the National Assembly, has expressed no regrets about her decision.
In an interview with News Room, Dr. Kissoon explained that her choice was motivated by feelings of being stonewalled and berated by those who were meant to support her. “I fought for my place in the National Assembly and kept it, arguing that to hand it over would have been dangerous,” she stated, emphasizing that politics is not akin to a religious setting.
Dr. Kissoon articulated that her decision was validated by the fact that her potential replacement would have come from the Alliance for National Unity (ANUG), which has recently allied with Azruddin Mohamed—a figure who, along with his family and businesses, has been sanctioned by the United States.
She clarified that she was neither paid nor coerced by the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to retain her seat, asserting that the PPP’s majority made her vote unnecessary for their agenda.
Dr. Kissoon’s party, The New Movement (TNM), along with the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and ANUG, contested the 2020 general elections as a coalition. Despite their combined votes resulting in only one seat, they had initially agreed to rotate it. After LJP’s Lennox Shuman served first, ANUG was to follow, but they allowed TNM to take the seat next, with Dr. Kissoon serving as Deputy Speaker.
However, she soon found herself lacking the promised support from her coalition partners in the National Assembly. “I would submit motions, bills, and other information but received no feedback,” she lamented. The situation escalated when she was rebuked for voting without permission, prompting her to conclude that it was in the country’s best interest for her to remain in her position.
Dr. Kissoon acknowledged that she broke the initial agreement but affirmed her satisfaction with her decision, stating, “I have accepted that I broke the agreement, but I am okay with the decision I made.” She indicated that she would make the same choice again if faced with similar circumstances.
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