By Sandra C. A. Ferguson

I make it a point to listen to the live broadcasts of the conventions and meetings of the political party of the current administration, particularly to the addresses of the Political Leader (or the Maximum Leader, title preferred and bestowed by the Comrade Senator at another one of these party gatherings earlier this year).

I believe that it is important to hear what the Political Leader has to say. That SETS THE TONE for what the administration will do, what we the people can expect of the administration.

From what I heard, there is not too much to look forward to or, it might be more appropriate to say that we can expect more of the worse – avoiding the real issues of governance and engaging in the politics of hate and divisiveness.

The convention appeared to have been an occasion for “taking shots” at the Hon. Peter David, “chanting him down” as a FOREIGNER. It was amazing!! The convention line was, ‘THIS COUNTRY IS OUR COUNTRY! WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY FOREIGNER TO TAKE IT!!’

To what IMBECILITY have we in Grenada sunk when the Attorney-General and the Special Legal Advisor to the Cabinet call a press conference to inform we the people that Hon. Peter David is a FOREIGNER!!

And to further “advise” we the people that Hon. Brenda Hood should be declared the PEOPLE’S representative since Hon. Peter David is disqualified and cannot be one of the people’s representatives in the Honourable house??!!

Is it that the members of the current administration genuinely think that we the people are IMBECILES or are they trying to PROVOKE us?

I was amazed that, as usual, the Political Leader spent his time lambasting the National Democratic Congress instead of addressing the serious socio-economic challenges in the aftermath of two hurricanes, the massive Public Debt and external realities, not least among them the Caribbean Single Market and Economy.

He delivered his vitriol in a more measured manner than the “rant and rave” which characterized the Budget debate. To me it came across like someone deliberately “sooking” their dog at you!!

Sometimes, I thought that he sounded STRICKEN WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS and I wondered if he were affected by the Apostle Griffith scandal.

Hear the Political Leader, “If you do right, right will follow you! If you do wrong, we will be damned – criminals and rapists will be governing us!!”

I wondered if the Political Leader was really serious? How much more damned could we in Grenada get!?

* Dipcon 17 million judgement against us,

* the Briefcase Affair involving the holder of the Office of Prime Minister

* Intercontinental Judgement against the Government of Grenada

* Former Ambassadors-at-Large, Eric Resteiner

*Viktor Kozeny - arrested and awaiting trial

* Ambassador Lily who turned the sod for the Stadium arrested as a fraud,

* Van Brink of First International Bank of Grenada notoriety arrested and awaiting trial and now ‘dead’.

* And just when we thought we couldn’t sink any lower….we learn that Apostle Griffith was arrested on charges of child molestation in the United States!!

Apostle Griffith was the guest of honour at the Thanksgiving Rally organised by the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs last year, as part of psycho-social therapy to help the nation deal with the trauma of Hurricane Ivan!!

I understand that at that rally our LEADERSHIP WAS ANOINTED by the said Apostle so I suppose we could more expect more damnation to follow!!

And to add insult to injury, the Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs is a former Chairperson of the National Coalition on the Rights of the Child!! So also is the Hon. Brenda Hood!!

Why is it that the LEADERSHIP of our country seems to attract crooks and conmen in very much the same way that honey attracts flies?

As usual, the Political Leader was THROWING WORD!! We the people have heard these tired favourites before:

* If they have to use elements in the media to do their dirty work, they will do it.

* You believe that the two (2) fires in the GBSS was by mistake. If you believe it, you could believe in every “nancy” story you hear!!

This is a MACHAEVILLIAN statement coming from the Political Leader. It is UNACCEPTABLE for any Political Leader to be making such statements on a public platform.

Assistance was sought from abroad to investigate the matter. Officially, all we the people have heard is that the fires were deliberate.

If there is evidence, then we expect that the law will take its course. We expect ARRESTS to be made.

If the Political Leader knows who set the fires and arrests have not been made, then I propose that action should be taken against those whose responsibility it is to take action on the matter.

As far as I am aware, the Ministry of National Security is under the Prime Minister’s Ministry. Is someone deliberately obstructing the course of justice? Or, is it that the Political Leader is trying to DESTABILISE the country?

We understand that he once worked for a certain AGENCY of a FOREIGN power that was bent on destabilising the People’s Revolutionary Government. How convenient it would be now for him to destabilise the country and blame it on elements of the opposition National Democratic Congress who were part of the Revolutionary Government?

I also noted that the guest speaker, Bruce Golding of Jamaica, referred to a time when he and the Political Leader were working together to restore democracy to Grenada. Does that translate as destablising a certain government? We the people need to ASK HARD QUESTIONS?

I think the time has come for we the people to seriously ask ourselves the question whether/how these people who “were working to restore democracy to Grenada” were implicated in creating a situation which led to the tragic events of October 1983.

Did they have accomplices in sensitive places like the high command of the army for example? Can this explain some of the liaisons and cooperation arrangements that seem to be in place right now? Because we the people know that our martyrs must be “turning in their graves” wherever they are.

We the people know that the Revolution had many faults. Be that as it may, SERVICE and SACRIFICE in the interest of THE PEOPLE (or THE MASSES, as was said in those days) was a HALLMARK of that period.

It is time for we the people to demand the report of the TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE. We also want to now how much of our money was spent on the sitting of this Committee?

The Political Leader continued to THROW WORD:

* People who led the fight against Hugh Wildman were carrying dead bodies on the fort.

This has become like a stuck record for the Political Leader. WE WANT THE REPORT OF THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE.

* Those who did all kinds of criminal things want power at all costs.

* Masked men operating in Parliament, masks coming off, one by one.

I find it instructive to refer to the Political Leader’s statement following his swearing in as Prime Minister of Grenada for a third Term of Office on Saturday, November 29th, 2003 (reference The Grenadian Voice of Saturday, December 06, 2003).

The following are highlights from that statement:

*As I accept, once again the responsibility of leading the Government of Grenada, I am filled with hope, humility and HEALING.

I look forward to CONSTRUCTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE DEBATES and discussions in the Houses of Parliament that will facilitate the continued development of our people and our country.

We fully accept the results of the elections and we understand the implications.

The election results show that the people have indicated that they require MORE BALANCE AND MORE TOGETHERNESS IN THE GOVERNANCE of the nation’s affairs. I WILL RESPECT THIS.

WE WILL CONSULT WITH THE OPPOSITION ON IMPORTANT NATIONAL ISSUES. We will listen to the Opposition because we accept the fact that the Opposition represents the views of a significant proportion of the population. Constructive criticisms will always be welcome.

We must all be mindful of the fact, however, that the opposition of DIVISIVENESS, opposition of HATE, opposition of DESTRUCTIVENESS ARE NOT WHAT GRENADA REQUIRES AT THIS SENSITIVE TIME OR ANY OTHER TIME IN OUR PEOPLE’S DEVELOPMENT.

….that the New National Party will make the necessary changes and act accordingly to ensure that such participation is genuine, is sustained and is extremely effective.

Let the PEOPLE decide WHO ARE THE REAL MASKED MEN IN PARLIAMENT. Let the people decide WHOSE MASKS ARE COMING OFF!!

Let the people decide whether the NNP is the party you can trust!!

GRENADA DESERVES BETTER!! WE MUST STAND UP FOR GRENADA!!