Has NDC declared war?
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- Details
- Parent Category: Aug 2011
- Category: Week ending Aug 06th, 2011
- Published on Monday, 08 August 2011 22:22
- Hits: 1994
Editorial
THE NEW TODAY is forced to defend itself against an onslaught from a certain section of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) that can be considered as remnants of the RMC that were responsible for the bloody carnage on Fort Rupert in October 1983. This group has unfortunately found itself within the bowels of the NDC similar to the manner in which the Bernard Coard group known as OREL hijacked the New Jewel Movement (NJM) of Maurice Bishop and Unison Whiteman.
Today the new face of the RMC, within the government is using a well-known opportunist and money mercenary to pull out his poison pen to try and tarnish the image of the NEW TODAY newspaper. This group has put out the following statement which speaks for itself: "SPECIAL BULLETIN from the National Media Center on behalf of the Public Relations Dept of the National Democratic Congress:
"Head of the Public Servant Commission Mrs. Gloria Payne-Banfield debunks the myth being promoted solely by the New Today newspaper, in an infantile attempt to sow division and disunity, and to cast doubt and a cloud on the recent very successful convention of the ruling National Democratic Congress, about the popular selection of Brother Kenrick Fullerton as the party's Chairman". How many of us remember the days of Bulletin No.1, Bulletin No.2 and Bulletin No.3 and so forth from the Revolutionary Armed Forces during the October 1983 crisis?
This so-called "Special Bulletin" clearly reminds us of those days including the midnight statement that the late Maurice Bishop was forced to read at gun point at then Radio Free Grenada in early October 1983 denying existence of the infamous vicious rumour and lie being circulated in the country that Bernard and Phyllis Coard were plotting to kill him.
A few days later Bishop was dead, slaughtered by his own Comrades in a bloody massacre on the fort as part of the struggle for control of NJM and the PRG. This "Special Bulletin" on behalf of NDC is similar in nature to the kind of propaganda warfare that was waged in 1983 against Bishop who became powerless and in the end was executed by his former Comrades.
The only difference now is that those involved in the NEW TODAY newspaper are not "comrades" of the RMC types within NDC and do not wish to be associated with them, now or in the future. This newspaper is calling on the NDC Leadership and in particular the new Chairman, Kenrick Fullerton and newly installed Public Relations Officer, Senator Arley Gill to clear the air on the statement that was issued on their behalf by this media outfit.
Our investigation seems to indicate that the top brass of the party knew nothing about the issuing of the statement, which was full of lies and untruths and written with the expressed purpose of trying to hoodwink the unsuspecting Grenadian people. A failure by those in charge of the NDC to publicly distance themselves from the statement within a reasonable time can only lead us to conclude that indeed it was sanctioned and had the full blessings and tacit support of the ruling party.
Lie No.1 in this so-called NDC publication brings into question the credibility of their own Political Leader and Prime Minister, the Honourable Tillman Thomas since it was he who first questioned the stated intention of Mr. Fullerton to contest the post of Chairman of NDC against the then holder, Senator Glen Noel. Can the so-called NDC "Special Bulletin" deny that PM Thomas raised his concerns within their own party on the issue because of Mr. Fullerton's contract as a public officer as Policy Advisor to the Ministry of Sports?
That contract states quite clearly that Mr. Fullerton will be subjected to the rules and regulations of the Public Service Commission (PSC). THE NEW TODAY calls on the RMC propagandist issuing statements on behalf of NDC to deny our bold claim that the Prime Minister had personally called in Mr. Fullerton and spoke to him directly on the issue and even addressed the matter at NDC Constituency Branch meetings in the build up to the party convention.
The second bold faced lie told by this so-called NDC publication is that the NEW TODAY is the only one addressing the Fullerton issue as part of some sinister plot to create confusion in the NDC ranks. What about the statement made by the Public Workers Union (PWU) on the subject matter by its President, Madonna Harford who is well-placed to do so in her capacity and that of being a former sitting member of PSC?
And how true is the statement allegedly issued by the Chairperson of the PSC that Mr. Fullerton "is not considered a public servant and so can hold political office if he so chooses"? Did she really say so? The Grenada Constitution Order 1973, which is the supreme law of the state, declares quite clearly in Section 111 that "public office means any office of emoluments in the public service" and secondly that a public officer is "a person holding or acting in any public office.
The same section identifies the category of persons occupying public offices in Grenada who are exempted from being considered as public officers and they are members of Parliament such as the Prime Minister, government ministers and Senators. Mr. Fullerton does not fall into any of the categories. So then who really is this group calling itself National Media Center, acting on behalf of the Public Relations Committee of the NDC and putting out this kind of "infantile" propaganda?
Are these the same people who in November 2010 challenged the constitutional right and authority of PM Thomas to make ministerial changes to his Cabinet? Are these the same people that the Prime Minister was forced to brand as being "dangerous" to Grenada? Who is paying the operators of the National Media Center to try and do their dirty work on THE NEW TODAY newspaper?
The NEW TODAY suspect that the people behind the so-called National Media Center are the same set that put forward proposals to government shortly after the July 2008 elections seeking over $250, 000.00 to do propaganda work for the new government. It should be recalled that when Prime Minister Thomas refused to enter into a contract with the group led by the money mercenary, he then turned his poisoned pen on his own leader and started to attack him.
The problem with certain relics of the 1979-1983 GRENADA REVOLUTION is that they have no respect for public institutions and still want to operate as if the Grenada Constitution is suspended as when they ran things back then in the country.
The days when the "Comrade Leader" could have just signed an order and send people up "Mahogany Row" to the Richmond Hill prison for indefinite detention as political prisoners is over in Grenada. Let it be known that THE NEW TODAY is well armed to deal with these power hungry men in NDC who meet at all times of the day and night and discuss the only thing that seems to pre-occupy their minds - the shortest possible route to take to land them into the powerful office of Prime Minister of Grenada.
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