By Marcelle Thomas
The Alliance For Change (AFC) yesterday accused the Ministry of Works of discrimination and hypocrisy over the removal of the party’s campaign banners in the city and at Ogle, East Coast Demerara—charges Minister Robeson Benn denied.
At a press conference held dramatically yesterday under one of the PPP/C’s banners on Vlissengen Road, AFC prime ministerial candidate Raphael Trotman said that in the AFC’s estimation although the Ministry of Works was responsible for the removal of the banners, his party felt it was actually the doing of the PPP/C. “This seems more like a Freedom House operation rather than a Ministry of Public Works operation,” Trotman said.
“This is ridiculous! I want the public to know that the PPP is up to [its] usual bad self; they are tearing down the banners… and we have heard that they are burning them,” he added.
During the past weeks, PPP/C banners have been placed over Regent Street, Vlissengen Road and Main Street.
Benn dismissed the AFC’s complaints as an attempt to distort the truth to gain political mileage ahead of next Monday’s elections. “The AFC’s claims are blatant lies, they are being dishonest about the information I gave pertaining to the erection of banners,” Benn, however, told Stabroek News.
He added that the placement of banners across highways and main thoroughfares is a breach of the Ministry of Public Works’ road safety guidelines as they may be a distraction or hindrance to vehicular traffic and could possibly result in accidents.
This information, he said, was explained to AFC’s Moses Nagamootoo on Monday after the latter called him seeking clarity. “I told Mr Nagamootoo that we were not allowing any banners on the highways and main traffic roadways. I explained that it does not matter which political party, his AFC, APNU or the PPP/C, as long as it violates requirements it will not remain up,” he said.
Benn added that Nagamootoo was told that because of the high cost of the paraphernalia, his party could have uplifted the banners from the Ministry of Public Works and place them “anywhere else that is within regulations… if they see a PPP/C banner up at a certain location, they may place theirs next to it, no problem.”
The Minister also pointed out that the AFC was not the first party to call his ministry complaining since only Monday he received a call from PPP/C’s campaign manager, Robert Persaud who was also upset that his party’s banners were also removed.
To him, Benn recalled giving the same explanation as he gave Nagamootoo and he said he planned to maintain his position to not only political parties but anyone wishing to place banners countrywide.
Trotman also stated that his party was of the impression that the banners were burned. This too was rejected by Benn, who said that the AFC was told that they may collect them.
