The UNC’s boycott of Tuesday’s Local Government Ministry meeting to operationalise the local government law is another example of failed leadership, spinelessness by UNC corporation members and failure to do what’s good for country and constituents, says Dr Devant Maharaj.
Maharaj issued a statement on Wednesday on the “transient headlines and national buzz” on UNC’s refusal to participate in the public consultation, which was geared to begin the local government law soon.
Maharaj said, “This action is a continuity of a long line of poor leadership decisions by Kamla’s UNC that has the political party in Opposition today and a significant factor in driving many UNC supporters from being involved with it. The boycott also significantly showed the lack of any political spine of every (UNC) Local Government representative, much like UNC’s parliamentarians.”
Maharaj criticised UNC MP Khadijah Ameen’s statements on the issue.
He said, “The UNC has revealed that it is loath or unable to join in the apparatus of state so instead, now the UNC residents in the boycotted corporations will have to accept whatever the decisions taken at the consultations and those decisions the UNC will again gripe it’s unfair and does not take them into consideration.
“The UNC has never taken action against the alleged inequality of treatment of their corporations ... instead of attending the public consultation and using that as a soapbox to highlight their issues at a national level, allowing the media to report on it, the UNC opted to take the lazy route out of staying home,” the statement added.
“The death-grip of Kamla over the office holders of the UNC was, however, highlighted by this boycott. It showed that UNC councillors like MPs, senators and national executive members are only concerned about holding on to personal power, which they all see flow from the political leader. This selfish and self-serving motive trumps what is good for country and party ... In the symbiotic exchange for that, they in turn support Kamla’s failed leadership so they’ll be assured reappointment come next Local or General election,” it added.