Address to the Nation by Deputy Leader of The National Democratic Congress Senator George Prime on the latest turn of events on the "Briefcase saga" involving Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell
We have decided to address you at this time because our dear country has found itself in the deepest crisis of governance since October 1983.
Once again our Nation has been brought to its knees; our pride and joy have been robbed; our dignity trampled; our peace disturbed; all on account of the conduct of the Prime Minister and his NNP Government in the context of the Resteiner/Briefcase Scandal.
Unfortunately also, this condition exists alongside the soaring cost of living, deepening debt, a weakening economy and moral and social decay throughout our society. Things are not good!
Fellow citizens, you will recall the details of the Briefcase scandal which led to the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry. You will remember that the Prime Minister claimed that there was no evidence against him, meaning that there was no tape capturing his transactions with Resteiner.
In fact, for several months NNP activists have called for the tape to be produced otherwise the Prime Minister's detractors should shut up!
For our part, we pointed out several discrepancies, gaps and inconsistencies in the PM's account of what had transpired as found in his address to the Nation.
We showed that he collected the so-called refund in the middle of his mission which meant that his defence of "refund" could not stand.
We pointed out that whereas the Government Information Service reported that the PM had visited Liechtenstein, he himself said he visited Austria.
Generally, we were able to show that his conduct was such that he was unfit for Public Office.
But even in the face of this evidence some of you were still prepared to give the PM the benefit of the doubt.
Alas! Today we now have confirmation from Resteiner himself that a tape was produced and is available, depicting his hand-over/transfer of money to the PM of Grenada.
We have also learnt that this information and physical evidence have also been shared with the US authorities. This state of affairs has not been denied by the United States. Think about that!
Today, the NNP is no longer saying, "there is no tape". They are no longer challenging the NDC to produce the tape. Quite the opposite. They are now sparing no efforts to block the delivery of the tape!
Today, they themselves are satisfied and know that they have something to hide. The PM is running scared! In fact, he is rushing so blindly that he does not know that Grenadians have seen the light.
The PM cannot hide any longer. Today we say to the Prime Minister and his NNP that their strategy which is:
* Block the video
* Keep it out
* Don't bring it to Grenada
* Don't let the people see
Cannot succeed.
Fellow Grenadians, any political party which does not credit our people with common sense and with feelings of pride and dignity is not worthy of high political office.
Any party which thinks that the people are not concerned about good governance, decency, sacrifice, service, honour, moral values, honesty and good old-fashioned hard work is not worthy to lead the Nation.
Any party which tells itself that it can build some roads and buildings, bring Cricket World Cup, spend money wastefully and recklessly on some young people and that the people will turn a blind eye to their long list of wrong doing, must be dead wrong.
Yet today we have in office a PM and a party which engages in some of the most undemocratic practices which destabilises society: that our public service is under siege; the media under attack; the church under attack; the judiciary under manipulation; there is rampant spying on peaceful citizens; open intolerance of opposing views to the point of denial of fundamental rights and freedoms. We have a problem on our hands!
But we say that no Cricket World Cup could save the NNP! No foreign investor could save the NNP from the justice of the people!
So when, in his most recent address, the PM told us that after CWC all that is left for us to do is to "live the good life", surely he cannot be talking to parents and working people who are struggling with the high cost of living.
He cannot be talking to our young people whose prospects for the best education and real jobs he has ruined with his reckless give away of our oil and gas resources.
He cannot be talking to farmers, fishermen, bus drivers, masons, carpenters, mechanics, store workers, police men and women, who all believe in the dignity of work and the value of earning an honest living.
Therefore, he must be talking of and to himself and his very well-off NNP friends. The "good life" comes from peace with God, fairness and justice for the people and economics and social welfare.
Fellow citizens, you would hardly want to believe that:
* In the midst of this crisis of Government;
* In the face of worsening economic conditions and of very distressing signs of harder times ahead;
* In faked pretensive, indifference over the briefcase scandal;
* In the face of the PM's give away of our oil and gas resources in his dealings with Grynberg;
* With the threatening likelihood that Grenada could once again be declared uncreditworthy;
* In the face of the mounting high unemployment in the country
The PM intends to call general elections:
* In the hope that the people would not have seen his video tape with Resteiner;
* In the hope that ten (10) days of cricket will give him almost two thousand (2000) days in office;
* In the hope that the people would be caught off guard and he could become 'Prime Minister for Life'!
Ladies and Gentlemen, today we call upon the PM and his Government to cease in their efforts to block the delivery of the video tape.
We call on the Prime Minister to "Give up the cover up"!
We call on the NNP to do what they have not done for twelve (12) years - respect the Grenadian people and give us back our country.
Brothers and Sisters, Resteiner cannot come "home" to Grenada and leave the video behind.
And so we must all send one strong and resounding message to the Prime Minister and his NNP;
"No video, No vote"
"No video, No vote"
"NNP must go".
