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St.
Georges, November 7th, 2008: Looking
back at the first 100 days of the NDC in
office it is clearer now, not just to
the Opposition but to most Grenadians,
even those who voted for change, that
the NDC was never ready for leadership
of this country as they said they were.
It is
clearer now, that their main objective
was never about Grenada. It was about
helping themselves, attacking the former
Government and its leadership and
satisfying their own egos. It was all
about power. Grenadians in every corner
of Grenada are not just complaining
about the hardship they are going
through but they are complaining
bitterly about the behavior of the
members of the NDC administration and
their associates.
Their
energies are focused on getting rid of
Dr. Keith Mitchell by any means
necessary, so they can run Grenada the
way they wanted to since the collapse of
the revolution. While you hear very
little of the new Prime Minister, all
attention has remained on Dr. Mitchell,
as members of the Government and their
operatives continue to try every
possible strategy to humiliate, attack
and discredit him. Refusing to give him
his passport with his valid visas and
describing him as corrupt without any
evidence are just examples of the focus
of our new government.
In their
true opposition style, the Government
and its operatives, continues to attack
even those who they perceive are close
to Dr. Mitchell or the NNP. Whether it
is the Governor General, former Deputy
Prime Minister Gregory Bowen, Ambassador
Patrick Antoine, Former Counsel General
Alen McGuire, former Cabinet Advisor
Hugh Wildman, international racing super
star Lewis Hamilton, Dr. Namatali and
the list goes on and on. These attacks
have accomplished one thing, destruction
of the good name of Grenada and
significant opportunities for the people
of this country.
In a
leaping before you look fashion; the new
Government started their first few days
by attacking and threatening investors
that they will review their contracts.
The end results are loss of jobs and
other opportunities for Grenadians as
investors scale down or close down
projects. New investors are scared to
come to Grenada since the Finance
Minister has declared that the economy
is in a mess. Even after he was advised
by those who know better that these
statements can make Grenada’s situation
worse, he continues to repeat similar
for political gains.
Businessmen
and other citizens are describing the
period after the General Elections as
the worse economic times Grenada has
ever experienced. However, the
Government is doing very little if
anything, to help the poor and
vulnerable. Hundreds have already lost
their jobs and are forced to go home to
their families with nothing. With the
current economic situation many of them
know it will be a long time before they
find a new job. The NDC promised it
will start from day one to reduce the
rising cost of living, but we are seeing
the cost of basic items increasing
daily. Before the elections 1lb of
brown rice was $1.94 now it is $2.75;
1lb of brown sugar was 97cents now it is
$1.10; 1lb of chicken wings was $2.18
now it is $4.35.
While poor
people suffer, many of the NDC bigwigs
who worked in the background during the
last elections are now reaping the
benefits to the disadvantage of the poor
and suffering. While some take home as
much as $8000.00 per month, the poor man
is asked to make sacrifices and to do
self-help when he finds it impossible to
put food on his table.
With no
understanding of the situation, the
Government has been missing in action
since July 9th. Ministers seem not to
have one care for the poor and suffering
as they have remained in the celebratory
mood traveling regularly in first class
with large delegations.
The NDC
promised to remove the reconstruction
levy in July 2008, but changed their
mind to remove it in January 2009,
knowing that the NNP had committed to
remove it in December 2008. All
students from primary school to TAMCC
were suppose to get all their books free
but the Government changed the plan and
gave only 4 books to secondary school
students at a cost of $25.00. These
parents then had to spend in some cases
as much as $400.00 to get the rest of
the books which they got free under the
NNP. The NDC promised free barrels to
help reduce cost of living, but
unfortunately the people who are most
affected by the cost of living have no
one to send them a barrel and the few
who get a barrel cannot pay
transportation cost. Imani trainees were
told they will not be sent home and they
will be paid $1000.00 per month. They
are now told they will be sent home in
December after a graduation.
Many of the
support services for the sick provided
by the NNP Government were removed.
Some patients are dying because they no
longer get help for weekly dialysis or
cancer treatment. Most of the other
safety net programmes were put on hold
indefinitely such as the milk programme,
the debushing programme, the school
voucher programme, the student’s
transportation programme, the housing
programme, and the food basket programme.
We can only hope that things will get
better but we are still looking for a
light at the end of this tunnel.
Office of
the leader of the Opposition |
