By Bennette Roach
Premier Meade speaking about rumours and elections
Premier the Hon. Reuben T. Meade has repeated an earlier promise that he will not call a snap election, or not before it is constitutionally due. “12th September, 2014, that’s the date which I had set,” he said at a Press Conference held on June 27, this year.
In an earlier report the Premier had said: “I do not believe in snap elections, and calling elections to get the opposition off guard. I can say now that elections will either be the 5th or 12th of September, 2014, so that all who want to run can get themselves organised and prepared…”
The Premier was expanding having responded to a question that asked him if the word on the street that he was about to call elections had any truth. He said he does not comment on rumour. “Enough rumours have gone around on me and I won’t comment on those either,” he said.
He was reminded that the talk came up while he was in the UK and that it apparently came out of issues surrounding the suspension of the road works project and the closure of the Public Works workshop.
He said further to his reiteration of an election date: “Part of it is that every time you get fairly close to election people get a little election jittery and people change and therefore people start all sort of stories of destabilization, people falling out, etc.,” he said.
Continuing he said, “…and then you ask the question where did those come from?” noting that as an example he received an email coming from a so called journalist overseas who is saying, ‘I heard that you fired a minister’.”
The Premier took the opportunity to speak of the unity in his government. “, I don’t comment on rumour, ”he repeated. “The government of Montserrat of which I am the leader is a fully functional government, I don’t think people have heard us arguing or fighting or bickering over things. We go to parliament, you hear the governments side being together, things that are happening, you see us driving together, going to lunch with one another, why would they believe that we would want to break it up, if something is working why is it, do we want to destroy it?” he noted.
In conclusion, he said: “The government of Montserrat and the team of persons with whom I work, are all working hard towards delivering for the people of Montserrat what the people of Montserrat need; just progress and development,” adding confidently, “we will be there through election; and we will be going forward as a team. If the people want us they will then re-elect us.”
Pic of premier at press conferene
