By Jerry Smith
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| Sir Kennedy Simmonds |
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The People’s Action Movement’s 45th Annual Convention was not what I expected. The event was a personal let down. I attended with the expectation of participating in a celebration to pay tribute to the founding members and stalwarts who blazed a trail for the present generation to follow. There were no reminders of the struggles of past leaders, no adoration for historic milestones of the Party. Instead, the audience was fed a diet of political rhetoric designed to make Mr. Lindsay Grant look good in the face of a bribery scandal that is threatening to destroy his political career.
Mr. Grant has once again demonstrated how weak a leader he is. He continues to run to Sir Kennedy to bail him out or to attract a decent crowd at Party events. He must learn to stand on his own two feet.
I have a great deal of respect for Sir Kennedy. After all, he is a founding member of P.A.M., our Nation’s first prime minister, and considered by many as a national hero. To my great disappointment, Sir Kennedy Simmonds also fell in line. His speech was so out of character and even though many in the audience applauded, it left a bitter taste in the mouths of plenty.
As far as I am aware, none of the five candidates has challenged Mr. Grant for the leadership position. All they did was to offer the suggestion that Mr. Grant step down as political leader. They were simply appealing to Mr. Grant’s conscience. It is therefore wrong for Sir Kennedy to say that they challenged Mr. Grant.
What I have been told is that the former five Candidates were driven to write a confidential letter to the Party Chairman after Mr. Grant refused to meet with them and discuss their concerns. They were absolutely correct in their approach. The real culprit is the person who leaked the contents of the letter to the public. Strangely enough, the Party’s leadership has chosen to embrace that individual.
The People’s Action Movement is also sending a wrong message to the public when it gives the impression that the Party cannot survive without Mr. Lindsay Grant at the helm. This is a very dangerous position. What about the Hon. Shawn Richards and the Hon. Eugene Hamilton? Aren’t they capable of leading the Party? Unlike Mr. Grant, these men have been able to win their seats against great odds. Shouldn’t they be given the opportunity to lead the Party?
Interestingly, Mr. Grant had the nerve to say that nobody can question his integrity. Does he think that the Marriott Bribery Scandal is a figment of our imagination? There are still three burning questions that Mr. Grant needs to answer:
1. Why did he go to the Marriott Hotel alone?
2. Why did he offer to sell Crown lands to a foreign investor at below market price when his Party’s policy is not to sell land to foreigners?
3. Why did he tell the purported investor to deposit the US$1.7 million dollars on his personal offshore accounts and NOT the Party’s account?
If Mr. Grant is afraid to answer, then perhaps he can ask Sir Kennedy to help him out.
