Opposition slams Govt ‘act of thuggery’

The UNC said it was designed to “steal the corporation” away from the people of Sangre Grande.

This was the position advanced by UNC chairman David Lee and UNC senator Gerald Ramdeen at a hastily convened news conference at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Port-of-Spain, hours after the ceremony took place.

Hinting that the Opposition had not ruled out taking legal action in this matter, Ramdeen told reporters, “We will take advice on this matter and we will not let it rest here.” He said this was something which the UNC would deliberate upon, once Opposition Leader and UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar returns home from London, where she is attending a conference.

Agreeing with Lee that what happened at the ceremony was, “a high handed approach”, by the PNM.

Ramdeen claimed there was, “a total breach of settled practice”, when incumbent chairman Terry Rondon took charge of the meeting when it came to the election of a chairman, instead of letting the chief executive officer (CEO) chair the process.

Ramdeen said while this was the process which took place in all of the other 13 local government corporations, this did not happen in Sangre Grande where the CEO, “took a backseat” to Rondon.

Reminding reporters there is a deadlock in the corporation with the PNM and UNC each having four councillors and two aldermen, Ramdeen charged that “several attempts” were made by the PNM to get one of the UNC’s councillors to cross the floor and those attempts included monetary offers.

He further alleged that when those efforts failed, the PNM executed a “premeditated and well-orchestrated plan” to take control of the corporation.

Ramdeen argued the PNM’s actions went against the grain of the provisions of the Representation of the People’s Act and the Municipal Corporations Act.

He said it was at this stage, the UNC’s councillors and aldermen decided they would take no further part in, “an unlawful exercise of power,” and walked out of the ceremony.

Ramdeen declared that the UNC objected to the procedure used by Rondon at the meeting and his use of a casting vote to allow the PNM to steal control of the corporation.

He argued that Section 67 (2) of the Municipal Corporations Act made it clear that the person presiding at a meeting of council will, in the event of an equality of votes, have a “second or casting vote. Ramdeen claimed this was why the CEO did not chair the meeting.

While Lee and Ramdeen were non-committal as to whether the UNC would take any legal action against the Government with respect to control of the corporation, they both said the UNC remained open to speak with the PNM to resolve the situation amicably.

“It is not too late,” Ramdeen said. Lee recalled that the approach of the UNC is borne out in Persad- Bissessar’s recent letter to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, asking for a meeting between the Government and Opposition to resolve the impasse in Sangre Grande.

Comparing what transpired as similar to the impasse between the Government and Opposition regarding the passage of FATCA legislation in Parliament, Lee said Sangre Grande provides the perfect opportunity for the PNM and UNC to work together in the national interest.

Lee and Ramdeen indicated that power- sharing arrangements could be a solution to who controls the corporation.