Dear Editor,
I am on record as recognising the good work of Minister Broomes when she was in the Ministry of Social Protection. I stand by my record of celebrating the fact that she tried to bring justice to the plight of the Regent Street workers until the powers that be clipped her wings. But since then I am at a loss to comprehend the actions of this Minister. Today this same Minister is being accused of fibbing on two members of the working class, causing them to spend sixteen hours in the Police lock-ups.
Thank the lord for technology! The factual video exposed the shameful bullying behaviour.
Looking at that video, one can easily conclude we have ourselves here a bully in Ms. Broomes. Why did Ms. Broomes’ driver choose to use the government’s vehicle as a weapon to attempt to force their way forward into human beings even after they were advised that the area was a “no-parking” zone? This action laid bare the fact that the Minister and the driver needed to dominate the space, while at the same time exhibiting poor impulse control.
But when we thought that was the end of it, the image shows a woman who is alleged to be the Minister, opening the door with haste and rushing to push down two of the “No-Parking” signs with no empathy for the fact that all these security guards were doing were their jobs. Even though the guards told her that it was a no parking area, the only opinion that mattered in that incident was the Minister’s.
To add icing to the whole situation, the Police were instructed to arrest the security guards (the victims) and they did. Meanwhile, the real oppressors went home to bed. How can this be fair? When confronted by the media to answer the charge against her, the minister said, “I do not know what you are talking about” and sauntered away from them.
The sad reality though, except for Minister Volda Lawrence who apologised to one of the victims, the entire leadership of the PNCR circled the wagons on this act of public misconduct by a public official. When asked for a comment, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said no comment as this is one of his lead campaigners in his bid to become the Chairman of the PNCR and the next Leader of that Party. All of this is happening while the elected President appears to be in a sustained siesta in the State House.
What these collective actions expose is that we are living with “the same old PNC”. Does the pageantry President not comprehend the nexus of this situation? These actions from Ms. Broomes are helping to wreck the PNC as a political force.
Yours faithfully,
Sasenarine Singh