Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj joined the Highway Re-route Movement (HRM) in calling on the Prime Minister to abide by the recommendations of the report on the Debe to Mon Desir segment of the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway.Maharaj spoke at a public forum, Transparency Debate, hosted by the HRM at City Hall, Knox Street, Port-of-Spain, on Wednesday night.
It was chaired by Port-of-Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing and included speeches by Maharaj, Movement for Social Justice leader David Abdulah and HRM leader Dr Wayne Kublalsingh."They feel allyuh stupid but the people of T&T are not stupid," said Maharaj.He also warned the PM and other Cabinet members to uphold the report's recommendations, or "crapaud smoke yuh pipe." He said the PM had publicly said she would honour the findings of the report and now citizens needed to hold her to her statements.
He added that the PM and other ministers were opposed to the highway before they came into power and had protested with him but did not have the courage to oppose the highway now that they were in the ruling party.
Produced by a committee, chaired by Independence Senator Dr James Armstrong, the report was commissioned after agitation by the Highway Re-route Movement and Kublalsingh's 21-day hunger strike. It was released last month and found "there were significant shortcomings which warrant further interrogation to determine the way forward." The report also said Government had failed to get all the necessary approvals from Town and Country Planning Division. The full recommendations of the report, maps of the proposed highway and alternative route were presented at the meeting.
Abdulah said it was a watershed in local history and a "victory for democratic participatory government." He said he was proud so many professionals had offered their services and expertise to its compilation. He added there needed to be legislation for party financing, public procurement and more participatory government. Without participatory government, Abdulah said, the country was putting the cart before the horse.He said the highway, which came before a national traffic plan, was an example of that.