Re-route movement and allies camp outside PM's office

The Highway Re-Route Movement took their protest to the Office of the Prime Minister Thursday, setting up a makeshift camp outside the office at St Clair and vowing to return on Friday.

Among those present at the camp during the day were:

• President general of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) Ancel Roget
• President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Government Organisations (Fitun) Joseph Remy
• Chairman of the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) Vincent Cabrera
• Leader of the MSJ, David Abdullah
• COP deputy chairman Vernon de Lima
• COP member Robert Mayers

They all condemned the destruction of the camp. "There is a right and a wrong way to do things and the wrong way has been employed this time and people like us must see to it that the right thing is done,” de Lima told reporters, adding that he was speaking as a citizen, not a member of his party. He suggested that his leader, Prakash Ramadhar, should issue a statement on the matter.

COP has already issued a statement in which it condemned the destruction of the camp. In a release from deputy Political Leader Dr. Anirudh Mahabir Wednesday the party said it is "alarmed to learn of the destruction of the camp."

It added, "The COP recommends that there be an immediate end to this confrontational approach and that a speedy resolution of this situation be found by way of dialogue and consultation."

Although de Lima said he was speaking as a private citizen he also voiced his concern as a member of COP about Warner, saying that in his view Warner should not be appointed to cabinet. And he called on Ramadhar to take a stand on that issue.

He said the members of the Re-route Movement had done nothing wrong. Mayers also said Warner should not be appointed Minister of National Security.