Sandra C.A. Ferguson

Richmond Hill, St. George’s

E-mail:  wethepeople.gnd@gmail.com

__________________________________________________________

July 16^th, 2021

Hon. Tobias Clement

Leader of the Opposition

Office of the Leader of the Opposition

Greetings Hon. Clement,

Re Letter of Solidarity:  Sitting of House of Representatives, Wed, July 7^th, 2021

Permit me to advise that I write this letter to you in my individual, personal capacity. Via this letter to you, I am doing two things:-

• Responding to the challenge of the Prime Minister – “Wrong is wrong no matter where it is!  Speak on it!”
• To offer you my SOLIDARITY in view of the conduct of the Prime Minister, Chief and elder stateman[1] in the  honourable House, and his treatment of your contribution to the honourable House.

 I  had the opportunity to listen in part to the proceedings of the House of Representatives on July 7^th during which I heard your contributions re personal explanations or what, according to  the Speaker of the House,  should be better  referred to as public business.  Among the concerns/observations that you brought to the attention of the House and to we the people were the following:-

• The plight of a 75-year old taxi driver, whose authorization to operate at the airport was suspended for 6 months.  He lived alone and was without a means of livelihood.  He was in a state of deterioration.
• The fires at the Perservance land fill and its impact on the health of persons who have to drive through the area every day or live in the surrounding areas.  You specifically mentioned the toxic fumes generated by the burning of 80,000 tyres[2]!
• Lack of drainage from the Chinese Housing Scheme in Beausejour and the general neglect of the environment in respect of infrastructural development.
• The cancellation of Carnival Bank Holidays:  You indicated your support for the cancellation of the Carnival bank holidays.  However, was this applied consistently across the board?  Were other festivals also cancelled. E.g. regatta in Carriacou?   Drawing on examples from other countries, you emphasized  the need to continue with protocols such as wearing masks and social distancing,  notwithstanding vaccination.

In response to your contribution,  the  Prime Minister,  sought to  belittle you, sought to make you look small as we say in local parlance by making made  snide  remarks, making  fun of you, suggesting that you were a hypocrite, you were in the POSING business and “speaking on two sides of  your mouth”.  In my opinion, this conduct was DISRESPECTFUL and DISGRACEFUL.  It is within this context that I pen this letter to you extending  my SOLIDARITY and offering my own comments.

Located in  St. George’s North West

The Prime Minister took issue with you raising concerns/making observations on the Perserverance landfill and the drainage problems associated with the Beausejour Housing Scheme, seeming to suggest  that these  were  issues for  the representative of St. George’s North West, i.e. himself.  What is the implicit message in this?  Is the Prime Minister suggesting that you or any other Member of Parliament do not have a right to speak on issues affecting other constituencies or in his constituency?  Is the constituency a fiefdom?

Technical Issue:

The Prime Minister stated that the issue of Perserverance was a “highly technical issue”.  No one doubts this!  But, is he suggesting that others are incapable  or do not have the right to comment on technical issues?  And certainly, he can “re-arrange the ignorance” of all of us by providing pertinent  information to the honourable House.

The challenge of the Perserverance land fill started from the beginning, some 20 odd years ago!  And he has been the Member of Parliament  for that entire period!  What can we the people conclude about his representation of his constituents in respect of that problem? 

There may be persons who can recall that, from the beginning,  there were several issues with regard to that landfill project.   The original site had to be abandoned shortly after the start of the project.  Why was this so?  Were the appropriate studies done?  How much debt did Grenada  incur in establishing the land fill?  What is the status of that debt at this time?  It is  we the people that have to pay back these debts, Hon. Clement.  As Leader of the Opposition, you have a right and a responsibility to speak on the matter of Perservance.

Protection of Health! Health!  Health!

It is so ironic!  The Prime Minister/Representative for St. George’s North West  and his Minister of Health in their vaccination advocacy during the sitting purported to be protecting the health of Grenada.  They seemed to be oblivious to the threats posed to the health of nation’s citizens  by the  fires of  Perserverance – that the burning of those tyres and  the release of TOXIC fumes, affected  air quality, pre-disposing those exposed to these fumes to respiratory conditions and also increased the risks of COVID-19 infection. 

Solutions re Used Tyres

 On the later newcasts, I heard the Prime Minister speaking about the proposed solution to dealing with the Molinere slippage and he  appears to be boasting that the COSTS of addressing the slippage will take most of the DFID money contributed by the United Kingdom.  Among the strategies proposed is the terracing of the land on the bottom side road.  Permit me to suggest Hon. Clement, that perhaps this is an area to which the 80,000 tyres could have contributed to a “green solution”  and a response to  climate change challenge.  Those tyres could have been used in the stabilization of the slope, using them to  support the terraces and reinforcing the barrier  by planting the appropriate trees in them.  The tyres would have been   reused, the carbon footprint of the repairs would have been reduced by using the tyres instead of concrete and the trees would be a carbon sink, using up carbon dioxide emissions.  This solution would also be aesthetically pleasing while also improving the ambient environment.  It could also be very productive by planting appropriate fruit trees in between.

St. George’s North East

Hon. Clement, you are currently the Member of Parliament for St. George’s North East.  The Prime Minister took several jibes at you, insinuating that your political career as representative of North-east St. George’s would be finished, all the time wearing a knowing grin on his face.  The Prime Minister’s apparent confidence that his party already has the St. North-east constituency “ in the bag”  reminds we the people of the issue of   the  integrity of the registration process which is at the heart of the electoral process and the role of  the Office of the Supervisor of Elections.  One wins or loses elections via the electoral process.    As you are aware, Hon. Clement, voter padding is a serious issue to be addressed. 

Permit me to also bring the following to your attention:-

• Online registration of voters – reference https://gov.gd/register-vote . 
  • The government website is inviting persons to upload their documents including digital signatures.  To the best of my knowledge the Representation of the People’s Act requires one to present one’s self and documents in person to the constituency office.  How are the uploaded documents being processed and by whom?  Is this a VIOLATION  of the RPA?
• Inviting those who have bought their passports – i.e. the citizenship by investment  and become “citizens” – to apply for a voter’s registration card–  http://www.infinitygrenada.com/voters-registration-card/

I urge you, Hon. Clement to make the issue of voter registration and  the integrity of the electoral process  a REFRAIN  at all of the sittings of Parliament under  the rubric Public Business!

I reiterate my solidarity and encourage you to continue to speak your truths calmly, unfazed by the disrespect that our  Prime Minister, your former Political Leader, continues to meet out to you as Leader of the Opposition.

Kind regards!

Sandra C.A. Ferguson

[1] Prime Minister Mitchell has been a member of the House of Representatives since the elections of December 1984, some 37 years this year

[2]https://www.thenewtodaygrenada.com/local-news/opposition-leader-says-dump-site-is-a-national-disaster/  – according to this news story, “On June 6, the landfill caught fire again and in the early morning hours of June 19 it erupted into a major inferno at a secondary site where tyres have been dumped.”