Eustace not taking part in any action that would lead to violence

Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace will not take any protest action that could potentially lead to any violent hardships for the people of this country.{{more}}

Eustace, speaking on the New Democratic Party’s sponsored ‘New Times’ radio programme yesterday, said that the path the Unity Labour Party (ULP) government took a few years ago has been praised, but that was not a matter of protest, but an agreement between the then Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell and then opposition leader, Dr Ralph Gonsalves.

Eustace’s comments were prompted by a caller who accused Eustace of sending mixed signals.

The caller, while not making specific reference to an exact event, spoke about a previous comment made by the Opposition Leader that he was not going to be part of a planned action and that Eustace had indicated that “if people want to go, the NDP is not part of that.”

However Eustace responded that while many persons were in agreement that the present administration was not managing the economy properly, they had the opportunity to make a change one year ago and instead they “preferred to stay with the government.”

“I believe that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, we have certain policy decisions in the party, one gentleman said go dig up the pipes, I don’t support that sort of thing,” Eustace said.

“There is some legitimate action that you can take and I am prepared to take those actions, but I am also saying that lot of people make these statements and when it is time to take action, you don’t see them,” he continued.

He spoke of the poor turn out at the planned protest against violence against women in the country late last year.

“The very proponents were on radio, they weren’t even there. In fact I was embarrassed by the situation,” Eustace said.

“It is very easy to say you must do this and do that, but nobody has any concern about how you going to finance it or anything, but they expect certain kind of action.”

He explained that the party had discussed some planned actions internally and that they would be implementing them in relation to the present situation.

“We have significant hardships and we can protest them fully with a view to having government removed and what we will do,” the Opposition Leader said.

He contended that it was easy for people to react on emotions when they were under pressure.

He however said that it was the current administration that brought this pressure on the people.

“I understand that impacts on people, but that doesn’t mean that we are going to take action that leads to violent confrontation, I just want to make that clear,” Eustace said. (DD)