Is the NDP practicing the rules of the jungle?-Hon. J Alvin Christopher asks
Hon. Christopher said he was told by Premier Smith that he was going to make $100,000 available to each of the nine district representatives for cleaning ghuts and doing things that are needed in the districts and those put forward by the district representatives.
He also went on to tell the House of Assembly (HOA) on October 14, 2013 that in speaking with the Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool, he was told that the people also elected four At-Large Representatives and the money promised will be split in half and also given to the Territorial members to do work in the districts.
Hon. Christopher made it clear that he “had no issue with that as they were elected by the people also, as it meant that the rules were established” and he wanted to play by the rules.
Culture of NDP disrespect continues
The Second District Representative said he contacted the Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Vanterpool to give him some items that needed to be done in his district and even submitted names for the portion of his 50% in keeping with the established rules and protocol.
He said when he contacted the Ministry of Communications and Works he was told that he is not to be speaking with anyone from the Ministry or Public Works. Hon. Christopher told the HOA that he was told that approval will have to be given for the “engineer” to go out with him.
He said over the past 18 months of the NDP Administration he has been inquiring about what was going on in his District, particularly about a project in Brewer's Bay. Hon. Christopher reported that the Minister for Communications Hon. Vanterpool did not hesitate to tell him “there is a very active and vibrant Action Committee in that area..but he listened as he loves to listen”.
The former Government Minister said he was told by the Ministry of Communications and Works and, he knows that the Ministry is headed up by the Minister, “that a directive came that they are not supposed to take any instructions from him [Hon. Christopher] and someone was assigned to say who and how these works are to be carried out in his district…I was under the impression that I was the District Representative..I asked for the name and was told that Claude Skelton-Cline was the name given…” according to Hon. Christopher.
“Madam Speaker, I was appalled by this revelation as when I was a Minister of Government I respected all District Representatives and all works went through the District Representatives out of courtesy and respect,” Hon. Christopher stated.
He said under the 20-month old NDP government it seems like they are “practicing the rules of the jungle, where it’s the survival of the fittest”. He said he spoke before the Minister for Communications and Works so he can have an opportunity to clarify his position, however the Minister did not address the issue.
Hon. Christopher warned that if all the rules and respect for each other have been done away with, then he can also play by the rules of the jungle “If what is happening for the last two years under this government is going to be the norm then we will be in serious trouble…I have always cooperated with the government and given them the respect..Tell me today if we are applying the rules of the jungle,” the usually calm District Representative asked?
Over the past 20 months, many members of Parliament and the public have bitterly complained about the culture of disrespect that has taken over the Virgin Islands under the NDP-led Administration. Allegations include incidences of At-large Ministers of government recklessly going into districts and giving non-elected persons, usually losers of the 2011 election, contracts to give out and bypassing the duly elected representatives.
This seems to happen more frequently in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 9th districts, all held by Opposition Members. Since the 2011 General Elections, many have said the HOA is now at an all-time low with many describing it as a circus akin to a school house. One legislator had even warned Premier Smith to “bell that cat” in referring to a certain Minister.
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45 Responses to “Is the NDP practicing the rules of the jungle?-Hon. J Alvin Christopher asks”
Excerpt: Chapter 7: v 9 - "....Haman even went so far as to build a gallows at his house so that he could hang Mordecai, who saved Your Majesty's life. And it's 75 feet tall! Hang Haman on it, the King commanded.
When the VIP Henchman from Cane Garden Bay was all over Virgin Gorda giving out contracts, nobody was crying and fussing about that. I guess they sent him there then. Well, I shouldn't say nobody was crying out because I heard some Virgin Gordians fussing. What is good for the goose is never good for the gander huh? Now I don't think this is right, but apparently Jungle politics has been practiced in these islands for a while now.
I am not for that but the vip did it for years and a...n knows.I could remember to that even the vip reo for the 4 district dr do little ( do nothing) dr s...e didn't even want any of his at-large members do anything in the 4th if he found out they gave anyone any lil work the man woukd kick up. And even curse them
One day, a scorpion looked around at the mountain where he lived and decided that he wanted a change. So he set out on a journey through the forests and hills. He climbed over rocks and under vines and kept going until he reached a river.
The river was wide and swift, and the scorpion stopped to reconsider the situation. He couldn't see any way across. So he ran upriver and then checked downriver, all the while thinking that he might have to turn back.
Suddenly, he saw a frog sitting in the rushes by the bank of the stream on the other side of the river. He decided to ask the frog for help getting across the stream.
"Hellooo Mr. Frog!" called the scorpion across the water, "Would you be so kind as to give me a ride on your back across the river?"
"Well now, Mr. Scorpion! How do I know that if I try to help you, you wont try to kill me?" asked the frog hesitantly.
"Because," the scorpion replied, "If I try to kill you, then I would die too, for you see I cannot swim!"
Now this seemed to make sense to the frog. But he asked. "What about when I get close to the bank? You could still try to kill me and get back to the shore!"
"This is true," agreed the scorpion, "But then I wouldn't be able to get to the other side of the river!"
"Alright then...how do I know you wont just wait till we get to the other side and THEN kill me?" said the frog.
"Ahh...," crooned the scorpion, "Because you see, once you've taken me to the other side of this river, I will be so grateful for your help, that it would hardly be fair to reward you with death, now would it?!"
So the frog agreed to take the scorpion across the river. He swam over to the bank and settled himself near the mud to pick up his passenger. The scorpion crawled onto the frog's back, his sharp claws prickling into the frog's soft hide, and the frog slid into the river. The muddy water swirled around them, but the frog stayed near the surface so the scorpion would not drown. He kicked strongly through the first half of the stream, his flippers paddling wildly against the current.
Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.
"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"
The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.
"I could not help myself. It is my nature."
Then they both sank into the muddy waters of the swiftly flowing river.
Self destruction - "Its my Nature", said the Scorpion...