Humphreys Marches Again

Details

Politics

Friday, 20 July 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John's - Eugene ‘Minister of Helps’ Humphreys led the second of what is to be a continuing series of weekly marches through the city on Thursday to protest against the longstanding controversial Wadadli Power Plant saga and the Fencing issue that have dominated the local media for the past several months.

Humphreys told Caribarena that the marches would undoubtedly continue until a commission of inquiry is held into the WPP matter or until the Police Commissioner decides not to honor another request for him to protest.

Thursday’s protest was supported by some two dozen marchers, a fair proportion of whom were clearly identified as supporters of the Antigua Labour Party.

The protest featured the unveiling of an effigy boasting the image of Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer on its blue-bottled head. Some of the protesters opted to batter the effigy with steel shafts and pipes.

Addressing the marchers, Colin Sampson said the march was one of “witness” that there are people in the country that will not stand to what “amounts to dictatorship” in Antigua & Barbuda. He urged that everyone stand firm and commit themselves to the drive for answers in “the most contentious issue in the history of Antigua & Barbuda.”

He noted that his decision to speak at the first march last week has led some persons to attempt to label him as “Labour”. This notion he firmly rejected.

“At no time will I ever be Labour,” he told the gathering, suggesting that his political stance was independent.

Stating that he was in no way condemning those who support the opposition party, Sampson spoke of the role of the opposition party in the Westminster system of government. He pointed out that under this system the opposition party becomes the natural beneficiary of governmental misbehavior, and chided the ruling United Progressive Party for “giving aid and comfort” to the ALP by its ill-considered actions.

He observed that based on his understanding; the WPP project was valued before it was researched, which opened the door for the value complications being seen today.

Other speakers included ALP spokesman Lionel ‘Max’ Hurst, who says the PM has no intentions of following the laws of the land. Hurst congratulated Humphreys who has developed a name for himself as a citizen struggling to ensure that governments live by the standards they pledged themselves to while in opposition.

“You can’t take US$52 million of our money and blow it and not give us any answers,” Hurst said. “Somebody was enriched, and we won’t find out until there is a Commission of Inquiry. We can’t continue to have a government like that.”

Lawyer Ralph Francis told those in attendance that the matter at hand was “very serious”, and despite the differences in political experiences for each individual in Antigua & Barbuda, it is one that should command the attention of each and every citizen and resident.

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