PT fortin supports achong

THE EDITOR: The people of the Point Fortin PNM-controlled Constituency will like the country to know that we are standing 100 percent with our Member of Parliament for the area, the Honourable Lawrence Achong, in his current struggle to increase the minimum wage in the energy-related construction industry, as well as his struggle for and on behalf of the striking ALNG workers.  We have always fully supported Mr Achong in the past and will support him in all his future political actions. The people of Point Fortin (Constituency Executive included) are of the general opinion that for the first time in its political history we have an MP who is not just efficient, but approachable, caring and concerned. Yet the political directorate is victimising him for being a representative in the true sense of the word.

Maybe the government of the day has backed itself into a false sense of security, believing that Point Fortin is a so-called safe seat and therefore they can “do what they feel.” What we want them to know is that Larry Achong is the single individual responsible for PNM’s survival in Point Fortin and the people are steadfast and unwavering in our support for him. Larry Achong brought home the Point Fortin seat for the PNM on three consecutive occasions amassing over 11,000 votes in 2002. Because of the representative that he is popular support has risen tremendously. We are all standing in solidarity with him. Columnists can sit back in their cushy office and marry words that may create a misleading representation of our MP. But they never faced the voting population and are accountable to no one. Mr Lawrence Achong is first and foremost a Member of Parliament who took an oath to faithfully discharge his duties without fear or favour on behalf of the people of this country and in this instance the Constituents of Point Fortin, which includes the ALNG striking employees. It takes an honourable man to adopt a position such as the one taken by Mr Achong. Hats off to you, Sir.

There are some politicians who take very lightly the promises they make on the campaign trail – this is not the case with Mr Achong. It was the PNM’s position that the Minimum Wage that the employees in that particular sector were receiving was not sufficient. It was the PNM government that directed its Labour Minister to spearhead the review of the wages in this sector. Now that the proposals have been submitted there is an unusual delay in dealing with them. There must be something in the mortar other than the pestle. It is too much pandering to capitalists in big business? Why must the small man always be the pawn? To the leaders of both the government and the PNM, the people of Point Fortin want to make it succinctly clear, “Leave we MP alone.” Point ready to go in any direction with him. We are not going to sit idly by and allow the best representative we’ve ever had to be bullied, brow beaten or victimised. We want Larry. We need Larry and we are going to keep Larry. We are not going to sit by and watch a beast become a monster. Whoever wants to fight with our MP prepare for a long nasty battle. We have had to struggle all our lives. Check our history. The Make Move Association started right here in Point Fortin. When we struggle the whole country benefits.

L W MORRIS
Point Fortin