Foreign influences led NDP to dissolve HoA - Conrad A. Maduro
He said the people of the Virgin Islands need an explanation as to why the country is headed to a snap election. Maduro was speaking in a broadcast to the territory last evening May 8, 2015 on ZROD 103.7 FM.
He alleged there is much corruption or illegal acts on the part of some elected representatives within the system of Government.
A dictatorship
"It is being asked by members of the public if the Premier [Dr The Hon D. Orlando Smith] and members of his party - NDP- are trying to render good service to the people why then they choose to cut short the sitting of the House of Assembly from four years to approximately three years with the intention of asking for another four years and perhaps more. The people of the Virgin Islands need an explanation to this also," said Maduro.
“The attitude of the Premier and his party shows stubbornness, dictatorship and disregard towards the people. Instead of him being the servant for the people whom he serve he has become the master and the people the servant,” he said.
“Based on the record I am of the opinion that it is the intention of the Premier to alienate Virgin Islanders from the country and Government,” he said.
Maduro insisted that the National Democratic Party Government is being controlled by outside influences.
PAC document
Reading from what he said was a report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) dated 2006, Maduro said he is convinced by the contents of the document that the NDP has betrayed the territory into the hands of a "strange and foreign group" resulting in subordination to that group “and [by] the action by the Premier to cause a dissolution of the House of Assembly, they are being instructed or commanded by same.”
"This document clearly shows foreign intervention into the affairs of the Virgin Islands through the National Democratic Party," he said.
Maduro said the fact that they have refused to utilise the four years which have been given to them is evident that they are not worthy of any more years.
“However the fact remains that there will be a general election and the need for you to elect a government of transparency and accountability, and according to record both the NDP and the VIP are not qualified due to recommended inquiries to members of both of those political parties,” he said. “The question is what hope is left for you the voter?” he asked.
Speaking to Virgin Islands News Online in an exclusive interview in early April 2015, Maduro had said the United Party was in the process of getting its candidates together with a view to disclosing them to the public. However, in his speech last evening there was no reference to whether the party had completed its process with a view to naming its candidates. Calls to Maduro between last night and today yielded no response as to the readiness of the United Party to contest the upcoming elections.
Efforts to reach Premier Smith for a response to Mr Maduro's allegations were futile.
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37 Responses to “Foreign influences led NDP to dissolve HoA - Conrad A. Maduro”
Govts the world over in parliamentary democracies call snap elections. That is the nature of the system. The rule party get to call the date and pick the date most favourable to them. If they want to call it 2 yrs into their term, because they believe the environment will never be more favourable, then that is their prerogative. Rather than talk incessant nonsense try reading a book.
Furthermore, even if GOVs the world over call snap elections, how does that absolve the practice from being detrimental to the voter? We still deserve a chance to vet all the candidates that every party intends to put forth. Snap elections are a cowardly act. Unless our country is in a crisis that we are not being told about, there is no need for one.
And Maduro brings up a good point, why are you asking for 4 more years when you cut the ones we already gave you short?
After all that shouting and name-calling, I have no idea of what the NDP platform is. Vague promises to the public is not enough. Vigilate (Vigilance!), that is our motto.
Does NDP think the majority of people are satisfied with the fireworks at a 1/4 finished cruise pier, streets resurfaced like a Rollercoaster, a prison wall around the high school and an educational system that keeps transforming every school term whereby those affected by the changes can barely keep up. Not to mention a manditory national health insurance that the majority of people don't want...and the list goes on.
Completion of the hospital that VIP started donkey years ago under Ethlyn Smith (rest and bless her soul) is NDP's only claim to fame right now. Thank you for getting the ball rolling on it during your 2003 to 2007 term and finishing it during your present term.
Turning our House of Assembly into a low class house of disrespect has been no joy to watch either. Your constant fight to take this Territory back the the days of only CCT and Ocean Conversion which therein lay your personal interests have been duly noted.
You know what thanks for calling elections early because I have had enough of this crap.
Now WHY are they doing it? It's simple political advantage. They think that since the opening of the cruise ship pier, they are riding high and they took advantage of the fact that the main opposition still hadn't announced their full slate of candidates. They caught them with their pants down and are giving them very little time to make any impact on the electorate. THAT was the intent and they succeeded.
It's a move that RTO warned would happen, but few listened. They dragged their heals and now they are moaning about it. Sadly, it is the people who get cheated when snap elections are called as it gives us no time to really study the candidates. I have come to understand that the NDP leadership care very little about what the people think and this just proves the point.
In addition, there are still several concerns in regards to the methodology employed by the ruling party in the development of the cruise ship pier and the land side development. There isn't time between now and election day to address those concerns and they (the NDP) know it.
All the signals of a snap election were being telegraphed for those who were paying attention. Did anyone really think that OJ quit his job on March 27 because he wanted 8 months (or more) to work on his campaign? Cheese um bread man, he waited until the very last minute to announce so that he wouldn't let the cat out of the bag too soon. Wasn't anyone paying attention?
Stop complaining and pointing fingers! Just get on with it and do the best you can with the time you have left before election day. Tell us what YOU ARE GOING TO DO FOR THE TERRITORY if elected and stop the nonsense. We've all had more than enough of it.