PM calls NDP plans ‘fiction’

Fictitious, is how Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has described Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace’s proposed plans for projects, including the completion of the international airport, should Eustace’s New Democratic Party (NDP) form government after the next general elections.{{more}}

Eustace in an “emergency” press conference held Saturday, December 4, outlined eight projects that his NDP administration would undertake, including the partnering of his political party with a “major international construction group”, which will get the Argyle International Airport into a state of readiness.

The Opposition Leader also outlined his party’s plan to create 20,000 jobs and spoke of the construction of a 1,000 unit hotel resort complex.

But when questioned on the identity of the foreign investor, Eustace said that he was unable to disclose who the partners were.

Gonsalves, speaking at the launch of his party’s manifesto on Sunday, December 5, said that up to Friday, December 3, the day before the press conference, there was to be no airport.

“Yesterday (Saturday) they called an emergency press conference saying that they have a bomb shell to drop.”

The prime minister continued saying that on Friday night, the NDP had shown a copy of the draft manifesto to one of the campaign consultants from Strategic Communications Laboratories (SCL) and were told that the “manifesto was a piece of sh…”

“They pulled a lot of stuff off their web page,” Gonsalves said.

“The colonialists declared it was a piece of sh… and a fella got in touch with colleagues in England saying you must write something for Eustace to read,” he continued.

“The words are not Eustace’s words; he doesn’t write like that and he doesn’t talk like that,” the prime minister contended.

Gonsalves further added that Eustace had thrown every single bit of his training out the window to take up what he called “nancy stories.”

“Pure fiction and like a karaoke artist, he (Eustace) read what they put in front of him.”

“I am telling you this, they told him – the British Colonialists told him that over 85 per cent of the people in the country agree with the Comrade for the building of an international airport, so you have to say something about this.”

Gonsalves further contended that Eustace was instructed by SCL members to say that there was an international construction company that will come to finish the airport.

“The whole thing about an international company coming here is fiction, it’s made up,” Gonsalves said.

“The same thing he said about the other matters; he say he going build 1,000 room hotel, we building one down Buccama, they call it phantom project,” the prime minister said.

“Same thing with the seaport, we done doing study with the CDB (Central Development Bank) and will be using the CDB money to build it.”

“We could tell you where we getting money from you know,” Gonsalves said as he scoffed at Eustace’s claim of creating 20,000 new jobs.

“Eustace is a man who clearly thinks that people believe in tooth fairies.”

“But you say to all of them with their tooth fairy, nancy story talk, their fiction that the ULP and Comrade start the airport, we know how we building the airport and we finishing the airport.”

“For five years they fight us on that saying it can’t be done now one week before their foreign masters are telling them this,” Gonsalves said. (DD)