General elections will be called soon

13.FEB.09

EDITOR: I’m of the opinion that Dr. Gonsalves will call general elections before it is constitutionally due. If you are asking why I am saying this, just look around, listen and see what’s happening in our country. There is a problem with Teachers’ Union and Public Service Union about reclassification. The prime minister has attacked Senior Public Servants, members of the statutory corporations and some members of his own Cabinet. And persons are wondering why is this so, after our Prime Minister said that his ULP government is doing so well.{{more}}

I am wondering if these persons that our Prime Minister seems to be attacking are the same persons working for the development of this country. Did it take the Prime Minister seven years to find out that these public servants and other workers were playing the fool on their job?

Prime Minister, welcome to the real world, or is it your past coming back to haunt you? Remember Doc, you master the art of criticism, but all of a sudden you don’t like to be or think you should not be criticized. Why?

When I heard Minister René Baptiste complain about bad roads in her constituency I was surprised. When I listened to the Prime Minister speaking about Senator Francis and Minister Straker performing quite well, no wonder he thinks he should close down Ministry of Works and Transport. I hope Minister Burgin is listening.

In recent times, Ministers Baptiste, Slater, Burgin, Sayers and Walters have been under the attack from inside the ULP. The Prime Minister hinted that every so often the ULP will see change, and the change is coming. But I will tell you something, removing Minister Baptiste will be a hard job. And let me tell Mr. John, you have your work cut out. Remember getting rid of René, one has to go through our family and that would not be so easy. Ministers Slater, Burgin, Sayers and Walters – don’t waste time, just take the package and go. Is it true that Minister Beache was offered a big job overseas?

Mr. Eustace and his NDP are waiting for the ULP to falter and persons are wondering if the NDP is ready. From my standpoint, I don’t think so. Where are the candidates? Who are they? We were waiting for the last seven years. Mr. Lynch has been the main mouthpiece of the NDP in the last seven years, and he has been putting forward the NDP’s position. But it appears that persons are not listening, or Mr. Lynch is failing.

Let’s say the NDP doesn’t win the next election… what would be the NDP’s position on the programme New Times? I am hoping that the NDP get rid of Patel Matthews as the Research Officer. He is also failing the NDP! If the NDP build their platform around persons like Lynch, M. Thomas, DeFreitas, Bacchus and Francois, who all appear to speak for the NDP and against the ULP? Could they influence anybody to vote for the NDP?

It appears that they have personal problems with Prime Minister Gonsalves, as they all once described our Prime Minister as the modern day Moses. Why is the NDP not taking advantage of the poor situations which the ULP create, bad roads, not to mention unemployment, poverty, alarming crime rate, decline in agriculture, decline in the tourism sector, and there is a perception that the economy is not doing so well? Are we paying attention to governance of this country? Get your house in order or the NDP might remain opposition.

Kingsley DeFreitas