Opposition Leader issues ultimatum to detractors

Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace says his political detractors should back off or face the consequences.{{more}}

Speaking at a New Democratic Party (NDP) political meeting at Fairbaine Pasture on Saturday, Eustace said that while he is open to receiving criticism, there were some who repeatedly criticize him, but have questionable backgrounds.

According to Eustace, these people were in no position to criticize him and he further stated that if the trend continues, he would be forced to expose the names of some of these individuals.

He said he noticed that many negative comments were being made in the local media about him and members of the NDP, but more so of Eustace as leader and the need for him to go.

“Well, I was the one who made the move to change the constitution of the New Democratic Party, instead of it being only the parliamentarians electing the leader, all the delegates at the convention and so on would choose the leader,” Eustace said.

And he has been re-elected as leader, every time, Eustace added.

“But I want to respond to those who are saying that it is time for Eustace to go…I am assuming that they want to come.

“Let me say this, those individuals have their own records,” he said.

The Leader of the Opposition gave some examples of such individuals: the first according to him, was an individual who headed a statutory body while he (Eustace) was the Minister of Finance.

Eustace said that the individual entered into a contract with a company in which he had shares, to do business.

He said that he called the individual and questioned them about having a company, to which the individual responded yes.

Eustace said $16,000 had been paid to the company and he told the individual that the money had to be returned or he would have to leave.

“Today he is calling on me to leave – I should have locked him up,” Eustace said.

He continued saying that the same individual was put in charge of finding land for an institution.

According to Eustace, the individual called him stating that he had identified a suitable plot of land.

“But I am very careful with those things you know,” the Leader of the Opposition said.

After questioning the individual, it was discovered that the land belonged to the individual’s mother, Eustace said, adding that he immediately sent the individual home.

“So, today he is speaking, but I haven’t forgotten about those things – I was acting in the interest of the people of this country and I am not going to allow corruption,” Eustace said.

He said that there was far too much corruption going on in the country and in order that the economy be brought back to some order, corruption needed to go.

According to Eustace, there were many people, whom after he was elected in 1998, that he has had to deal with – others resigned, he said.

“I never gave out any names, but they know who they are,” he said.

He said that he did not want one cent of government’s money for his own purposes.

“And I live by that creed.

“But you have those people who keep making all sorts of statements, but when it came to their record, and they hope that you don’t expose their record, you will find that they are something else,” the Leader of the Opposition said.

He said that there will be times when hard decisions would have to be made and that he was not afraid to take those.

“I have been accused of firing people; I did so, but I know why I do it.”

Eustace said one of the persons he had to deal with “walked out with funds … and had to go and will remain out …”

Eustace said that once he finds out that someone has done something wrong and he finds out how it happened, then that individual will have to go.

“You cannot tamper with funds given to you,” he said.

He further explained that people’s resources were being siphoned off by people who did not deserve them.

“It’s not their money and when they do it, they must pay the price.”

“I will take criticisms but I am not taking criticism, from people like that, because they have a right to talk and if this trend continues, I will be giving much greater detail in the future – we have to look out for our country,” Eustace said.(DD)