Either the Government accept the process as outlined in the Armstrong Report or accept the optimum connectivity proposal alternative to the Debe to Mon Desir Highway or face the irreparable harm or death of leader of the Highway Re-Route Movement (HRM) Dr Wayne Kublalsingh. This was the position taken by Kublalsingh in another bid to bring resolution to the controversial Debe to Mon Desir portion of the extension of the Solomon Hochoy Highway to Point Fortin
He completed Day 50 of his second hunger strike yesterday. The environmentalist said that was not an ultimatum to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar but rather an analysis by the HRM on the matter. He warned if he were to die there would be “myriad and widespread” social, political and psychological impacts. Asked what he hoped to achieve by that Kublalsingh said he still hoped there would be mediation.
“All we could do is just hope, wait and I have to continue to try. I am absolutely positive now that they would be thinking about the situation. “All I can do is offer them my prayers so they could find the best way forward for the country,” Kublalsingh added. In a statement yesterday Kublalsingh said the Government, after three years of vicious attacks on the HRM and its principles had failed to defeat the movement.
He said its money, rhetoric, power, violence and propaganda have boomeranged towards it at every turn and knocked it from the moral high ground. He added: “The Government has attempted to make us into the Jews of Nazi Germany; select persons, unbecoming of the dignity of their party, have acted as storm-troopers to harass, demoralise and denigrate.
“Thank God our cosmopolitan Trinidad and Tobago has risen up and supported us. The Government is now a minority force in this battle and is in a lose, lose, lose situation. It must mediate to save itself.” He said he had no problem to die as that was a decision he had already made. On his health he said he felt very strong spiritually, especially since he was visited by a RC priest who prayed with him for a lengthy period yesterday.
The activist said over the past three years public office holders have launched a systematic pattern of abuse against members of the HRM and other citizens of Debe to Mon Desir. See Page A6
Kublalsingh’s claims of abuse include:
• Physical violence and threats, using intimidation, threats, police, army and weapons and police dogs.
• Attempts to bribe and cajole citizens to accept relocation and compensation.
• Use of personal attacks and propaganda to vilify and deliberate distort the HRM’s message.
• The use of CEPEP and partisan individuals to attempt to intimidate citizens and HRM members at meetings and press conferences.
• Stonewalling, prevarication and procrastination to treat with HRM’s concerns.
• Failure to sincerely comply with assurances given to the HRM and the denial of such assurances.
• Wilful neglect of HRM’s letters and offers to meet.
• Disrespectful attitude to citizens and HRM members at private meetings with officials, including sarcasm, irony, anger and expulsion.
• Possible illegal influence of persons in public and private institutions to attack and distort the HRM’s advocacy and deny fair process.
• The overall bad handling of peaceful advocacy.
• Use of prevarication and procrastination in the legal process, while expediting works in the ground.
• Lack of transparency and accountability involving possible instances of white collar criminality.
Saying that all these issues had led to an escalation and prolonging of the impasse Kublalsingh added: “Owing to the fact that our citizens and members have refused to relent and have acted with restraint under the above abuses the Government has now backed itself into a corner and narrowed their range of choices.
“The Highway Re-Route Movement is expectant that the leaders of Government will now accept the long-expressed calls for transparency, accountability and for a process of tripartite mediation to begin,” he added.
Protest outside Parliament
Members of the HRM have been rallying supporters as they prepare to gather outside the Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain when Parliament reconvenes tomorrow. Spokesman Satu Ramcharan said several civil society groups have also expressed interest in coming out in their numbers to lend support. She added it was a pity Persad-Bissessar had taken no steps to mediate.
Some HRM members staged a small, silent gathering outside the office of President Anthony Carmona yesterday to show their solidarity for Kublalsingh. Members of the Project 40 movement, who have also pledged their support to the HRM, are also expected to be outside Parliament tomorrow.
Point Fortin resident Daniel George, who was the 24th person to take part in a 24-hour “relay fast” yesterday, said he wanted to be part of a cause which fought for good governance. “That is what I think should motivate any real concerned citizen of T&T. Now that people are getting the correct information through this cause I think it would make a great impact,” George added.