UNC Chairman condemns Hinds “Drive a stake in the UNC’s heart” statement
The calls for PNM supporters to drive a stake at the heart of UNC supporters and kill them once and for all, uttered by Minister of Public Utilities Fitzgerald Hinds at a PNM Political Meeting are divisive , derogatory but further more demonstrates the absence of vision and plans which currently hamper the PNM resulting in the use of violent language to gain electoral momentum as opposed to the discussion of constructive nation building plans and policies on the eve of Local Government Elections.
These politically violent statements have degraded and demeaned the National Office and portfolio which Mr. Hinds holds and demonstrates the poor caliber, temperament as well as quality of leadership that is currently executing our nation’s developmental agenda.
It is critical that he be reminded that he is supposed to be a Minister for all citizens regardless of their political persuasion, however given the apparent venom, animosity and ill -wishes towards those opposed to his government the question now arises “Will the supporters of the Opposition receive fair and equal treatment from the policies and state resources of his Ministry in the future?”
Sentiments of violence, discrimination, degradation and humiliation towards others have always been a trademark of the PNM towards those opposed to them dating from its first incarnation when Dr. Eric Williams referred to a sector of the population as “a violent recalcitrant minority” to recent years when Hinds once more described Opposition supporters as “coming from a murky lagoon”
At all times these irresponsible rants could be described as symptoms of the PNM’s inability to answer the truthful national criticisms brought against them by the population as well as its current dilemma of desperation emerging from dwindling support due to its draconian method of Governance.
As a nation regardless of our individual political identity we must all stand up to the Politics of hate, hurt and Humiliation as we seek to achieve equitable and sustainable national development for all.
The Prime Minister as well as the Minister of Public Utilities has a national duty to renounce and retract these unfortunate and inciting utterances as they come at a time when our nation is already plagued with violence and poses a further threat to the peace, security and unity among our citizens.
Dr. David Lee,
Chairman, United National Congress & Member of Parliament for Pointe-a-Pierre.