The group Powerful Ladies of Trinidad and Tobago (PLOTT) said Mayor Raymond Tim Kee must follow through on his commitment to tender his resignation and the Port of Spain City Council must accept it.
“As a people we must continue our call for justice for Asami and the many victims whose crimes remain unsolved.
“We must demand of our public officials a more strategic, research-based and intelligence driven approach in response to this dilemma,” PLOTT said in a statement yesterday
The group described Tim Kee’s statements following the murder of Japanese pannist Asami Nagakiya as “ignorant, archaic and barbaric.”
“His response was completely void of empathy for the victim, her family and the daily plight of women in our society, most of whom live in fear of meeting a similar demise.
“Furthermore, in responding to the murder of a visiting foreign national, the Mayor displayed a complete lack of cultural awareness and diplomacy in his address to the media.
“This was repeated within his official apology, whereby he made the point of referring to the support he received for his initial statements. This was continued justification not a sincere apology.
“Whether select members of society share and support the Mayor’s thinking is irrelevant.”
PLOTT called for public officials be trained in diplomacy, adding that immediate response to any crime should be grave concern not embarrassment, and should include, assurances to the family and public that justice would be served.
“In the case of the murder of a foreign national, our public officials should remain cognisant of the likely international exposure and manage their responses accordingly.”