Hot Like Pepper - UNC-A urged to drop laptop affair, focus on bread and butter issues - Top Story

Top Story : UNC-A urged to drop laptop affair, focus on bread and butter issues

2008/4/22 0:10:00

Several United National Congress-Alliance (UNC-A) parliamentarians Monday evening urged their leadership to abandon the laptop computer affair.

The free-speaking legislators stressed that the matter was not earning the party any points with a public fed up with the cost of living, crime and other pressing problems.

The MPs, Senators and a few councillors attended the weekly parliamentary caucus, chaired by Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Opposition Chief Whip in the House of Representatives.

The lively session discussed a number of issues, including legislations now before Parliament. There was also an assessment of the party’s performance in the House and Senate, to date. Participants also strategised on how to respond to the expected suspension of three MPs over the laptop issue.

When dialogue turned to the issue of Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday’s suspension over use of the computer, certain legislators, including a couple new faces, strongly advised that attention be turned away form that issue.

They said that the public was not concerned about MPs use of computers, but, rather, about bread and butter issues and their own security. One speaker at the caucus said the party was hurting its image as an alternative government by continuing to play the matter in the public domain.

One person spoke out briefly against threats made last week that some opposition MPs would resign, to seek to force a general election.

Generally, there were calls for focus to be placed on issues that most affect the wider population and to begin to prepare for the forthcoming local government election.

Panday is at his wife Oma’s bedside in London, England.

The ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) also held its weekly parliamentary caucus on Monday evening.

-Ken Ali