CATEGORY:SPECIAL EVENT --------------------------- INSIDE GRENADA WEDNESDAY August 1,2007 The following is the text of an address to the Nation by the Hon. Tillman Thomas, Leader of the Opposition on Thursday July 26,2007. Ladies and gentlemen, fellow citizens, good evening. Before I come to the main part of my address, I take the opportunity to speak briefly on my recent suspension from parliament by the speaker. As you know, over the last ten years, I have championed the cause of respect for the democratic institutions of our country. Everyone knows that I hold strong convictions on issues of principle. You will also remember that I was even jailed for my democratic convictions. Today, sadly, we the NDC members of parliament based on the conduct of the current speaker have come to the conclusion that we will seldom receive fairness. However, the parliament is bigger than the speaker. Parliament is also bigger than any one of us, elected members. Parliament belongs to the people and is the most powerful symbol of our democracy. Given the current sad state of affairs in our country and the legitimate expectations of our people for full and effective representation, both inside and outside of parliament, no one shall stop me from fulfilling this noble task and as happened before I am not afraid of going to prison to defend and uphold my democratic convictions. I am determined not to allow anyone to crush convictions. Thus, the actions of the speaker only reveal how disrespecting and abusive of parliament the current regime is. I must hold myself in confident readiness to lead Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique after the next general elections. In 2003, over twenty thousand voting Grenadians put us in the parliament and only you can remove us. While we have in the past walked out on the NNP when they have tried to misuse the parliament, we will never walk out on the people of Grenada. You have my word. You will see NDC resolve, capability and strength both inside and outside the parliament. Ladies and gentlemen: A number of very pressing and important issues face our nation at this time. The national democratic congress is therefore obliged to make its views known. Our country is, and has been, for some time now, in the grip of a sad period of governance. Day after day, the silence and the occasional utterances of the prime minister cause us pain and shame. The NNP had disgraced our country. The regime has taken the nation into the camp of international crooks, money launders and fraudsters. Grenada is the only country in all of Caricom with three of its ambassadors currently serving prison sentences. Both prime minister and deputy are now before courts of law in different foreign countries in connection with their conduct in public office. These are very serious matters which must concern every self respecting Grenadian. Ladies and gentlemen: It is my duty to tell you the truth. Everyone knows what I stand for and I honour the trust of the people. Under the watch of the NNP a long list of bad, sad and embarrassing things have happened and are happening, here are some of them: • untold corruption and greed. • the highest cost of living level in the recent history of Grenada • a massive collapse of the government’s fiscal policy • the highest debt burden in the history of Grenada • a failure to reconcile the nation • a disgraceful, selfish and irresponsible give-away of our oil and gas resources • a cloak of fear over the public service, the media and the business sector • blatant victimization of public officers and police officers the list can go on. Dear Grenadians, The indictment and rejection of the NNP by the people of Grenada will pave the way for an NDC administration under my watch and leadership. Under the watch of the first NDC government, there was: • an unparalleled period of peace and stability in Grenada • freedom of the media. even the official opposition had free weekly air time to address the people • the restoration of the economy and a return to credit-worthiness • a single public service with no victimization • leadership with integrity • full accountability • strength to deal with ministers of government whose conduct took them outside acceptable standards of behaviour in public office • unity in the nation • a proud Grenada. I therefore have a proud tradition to uphold. The coming NDC administration will place people issues at the top of its agenda. We are deeply concerned at the current state of the Grenadian society. The economic welfare of the nation and of each citizen will be an important priority. So too will be the peace, stability and security of our country. We will support and encourage the private sector to provide leadership in driving the economy. Foreign direct investment will be encouraged and welcomed. For the very first time in the history of Grenada, my NDC government will allocate at least $10million annually from local revenues for human resource development. This investment is critical for addressing the production problem in our country and for laying the basis for future flows of remittances from abroad. Tourism and services, high-value agriculture and agro-industrial development will be the foundation of our economic strategy, on the production side. In addition, the NDC will roll out a bold, fascinating and empowering youth programme across Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique under the slogan: “Every youth has value. Every youth must contribute. Every youth can earn”. Dear citizens, Our recently held conference on the economy has shown how we will start the engine of production. I will provide the policy leadership. The private sector will provide the investment, technology and management. The workers, public officers, technicians and all the people will provide the energy and the efficiencies. Together we will raise productivity levels in our economy so that we could engage successfully in the single market and economy. But our first patriotic task would be to stabilize and then to re-build the economy. That task will not be an easy one. However, we did it once before and we can do it again. On the subject of the conference, I must express our deepest appreciation to all those who contributed towards its success. The conference identified some of the main difficulties and constraints facing the development of our economy, as well as proposals for remedying the situation. It is clear that the rising level of unemployment, the worsening national debt, rising prices and a widening of the trade deficit are issues of deep concern. In fact, the recently released IMF report as well as the earlier report issued by Standard and Poors both sound loud alarm bells as to our current state of affairs. Grenada is indeed in a serious economic crisis created by short-sighted NNP policies. In these circumstances, I have requested our shadow minister of finance, the honourable Nazim Burke, to prepare and deliver a separate address to the nation on the state of the economy. Ladies and gentlemen; The NDC has been practicing a policy of national reconciliation for many years now. The people of our tri-island state understand well that national reconciliation is a crucial pre-condition for our democracy. The NNP has been left behind! They cannot catch up because they have difficulty with inclusion, fairness and honesty. NNP old talk and tactic of creating mass hysteria and their anti-communist propaganda failed them in the 2003 general election and it will fail them again. The Grenadian people are politically mature. The struggle here is not about isms. The struggle and concern of the Grenadian people is for honest government, effective administration and relief to the people of high prices and waste of public resources. My dear citizens, We find ourselves today with a big problem on our hands. We must deal with the raging gang violence amongst our youth. We cannot settle for that we face a test of our strength, our resolve, our compassion and our patriotism. The NDC is ready to contribute to a full-fledged and comprehensive response. The immediate goal must be to contain and stop the perpetrators. Secondly and simultaneously, we must remove the incentive, attraction and opportunity for the formation of gangs. We can begin by: • making individual offers of relief employment • investing in a major music project to create “bands out of gangs” • establishing rapid skills centres set up under tents in select communities • initiating a TV and radio campaign to feed the right messages to the youth and likewise to filter the cultural poison fed to them In the longer term, we must concentrate on re-education and psychological re-balancing, focusing on vulnerable families. All of these efforts and more would require the collaboration of the social partners, government, church and business. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, I urge all Grenadians to redouble our prayers for deliverance of our country. I call on all to be ever ready to take to the polls whenever a general election is called. Remember that the ballot is an important instrument for instituting change and we should never allow this opportunity to slip by. Grenada simply cannot afford this. The time has long come to change this NNP administration. I call on the government and on the Prime Minister, specifically, to address the population on the following matters: • the resteiner briefcase scandal…a truthful account • the oil and gas scandals namely: the prime minister’s deal with Grynberg and Mr. Bowen’s deal with the Russians!! • the division within his government • the implementation schedule for the VAT and the likely impact on the level of prices • the conditions set by the international financial institutions for giving financial support to Grenada as provided for in the 2007 budget. The time to account is now. the people need answers and explanations. It is time to face the nation honestly! In closing I welcome all visitors, Grenadians and family returning for the August festivals. Please have a peaceful and uplifting carnival Thank you and may God bless you all. Good night. Reprinted from NDCblogspot.