The Baptist Women's League has voiced strong criticisms against all those people opposed to the ruling People's National Movement and the Baptist movement. With a general election due within the next three months, Baptist mother Merle Nicholas spoke out against all detractors. She was speaking at a Women's League celebration of Baptist Liberation and an Eric Williams memorial lecture held at the PNM San Fernando West constituency office on Tuesday. Also in attendance were San Fernando West MP Junia Regrello and former MP for that constituency, Ralph Maraj.
Maraj, who served under both the PNM and UNC administrations, is at present in the PNM's corner, and was the chairman at its public meeting in St Augustine last Monday. "Fire go bun dem... All the people that don't like the PNM and don't like the Baptist, fire go bun dem," Nicholas said. She said in spite of public criticism about the ruling party and her faith, both entities were here to stay and "would not be moved." Lashing out at the opposition parties, Nicholas added that the Congress of the People (COP) would dissolve and disappear like many other political parties of the past.
"There has been the DLP and many others and just now we will ask where is the COP?" she said. Regrello, who also addressed the gathering, expressed confidence for both himself and the party at the polls.
Drawing reference to his Baptist past, he said: "I get so much bush bath when I was small that I cannot lose any elections." He continued that a victory at the polls is the party's main focus and urged all to remember Williams in this election time. "As a constituency and a party, we cannot compromise the heritage which Dr Williams painfully built," he said. "We must ensure that the legacy of a strong party prevails as a necessary prerequisite for any dynamic and progressive nation."
