NDP, ULP mismanaged SVG’s resources – DRP

Wendell Parris of the Democratic Republican Party (DRP) says that the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Unity Labour Party (ULP) have, for a combined 32 years, mismanaged the scarce resources of the country.

On Monday, during a DRP rally in Walvaroo, Parris, who will represent the DRP in South Leeward at the next general elections, spoke about what he describes as mismanagement of the country’s resources by both the NDP and the ULP.{{more}}

Speaking to a gathering of about 40 people, many of them children, the DRP man said that his party, headed by Anesia Baptiste, is here for the people and if elected, will change the culture of mismanagement that he says is plaguing this multi-island state.

Parris, who was employed as a social worker under both the NDP and ULP governments, noted that apart from mismanagement, the country has also been plagued by greed, while politicians at times want to control and dictate to citizens, something he says will not happen under a DRP government and something he says forced him into early retirement at age 51.

Stressing that he worked at the Social Welfare Department under the NDP for 14 years, Parris said that he was transferred from that department after he showed support for Dr Ralph Gonsalves, who was at the time, an up-and-coming politician. He said that he was vocal in supporting Gonsalves and as a result was transferred to the Family Court, where he remained for six years until the ULP came to power and he was returned to the Social Welfare Department.

“Under the NDP, I made it clear I was supporting Ralph, who was rising and they move me from Welfare, which is a place where they give things away, so I was transferred to Family Court for six years and Gonsalves got in power and he moved me back to Welfare,” said Parris, who revealed that after a while he became disgruntled with the ULP.

“…now under the ULP I was not jumping when they say to jump.”

He said that as an officer at the Welfare Department, he would help children go to school and sometimes after a week, the same person whom he had helped, “would come back and say they have come from the PM office” and say that they were sent to the Welfare Department for help.

“They were helped before, so I couldn’t help them again,” said Parris who alleges that he was transferred from the Welfare Department because he refused to double up on helping persons who had received help as recently as a week before. He opined that these sorts of things are wrong and politicians must know where to draw the line when passing instructions.

“Not because you put me somewhere to work that when you say something I must not say what is right or wrong,” stressed Parris, who also revealed that during his time as a public servant, he was also very critical of the then ULP representative in Marriaqua, Girlyn Miguel.

“I was criticizing Miss Miguel in Mesopotamia and I did not make it a secret that I am not supporting the ULP. People should not be controlling our minds. We have freedom and we should ensure that we know that we have freedom and act like we have freedom,” said Parris, who is asking persons to exercise their freedom when voting in the next general elections, constitutionally due by March 28, 2016.

Parris stressed that under the NDP (for 17 years) and the ULP (for 15 years), “things have grown continuously hard and difficult and the ULP has mismanaged the scarce resources and we are experiencing extreme hardship here.”

He revealed that as a social worker, he knows of situations where children have no breakfast and have to go to school hungry, something that should not be happening.

He urged persons to vote for the DRP, as its leader (Anesia Baptiste) is not afraid to speak out against injustice and wrongdoings, while she is also very compassionate.

“A woman once messaged Baptiste on Facebook; she didn’t have any food, so Baptiste took her to a restaurant and bought lunch for her, then to the supermarket and bought groceries,” revealed Parris, who also stressed that Baptiste has provided items for people in need in many instances.

He said that the DRP is filled with individuals who know how to manage the scarce resources here, so that the needy, and not the greedy, will get them.

Baptiste also addressed the meeting, along with the DRP’s East Kingstown representative Karima Nash.

Baptiste, who was born in East Kingstown and attended the Sion Hill Government School, says that SVG is in need of a new political party with fresh initiatives.

“We are presenting ourselves as an alternative of hope for the people of SVG,” stressed Baptiste, adding that she is hoping to have a full slate of candidates to contest the next general elections.