Rowley visits Kublalsingh, promises that PNM will meet Reroute group

Keith Rowley visited Wayne Kublalsingh Wednesday and asked him to end his hunger strike. In his brief meeting with the leader of the Highway Reroute Movement, the opposition leader heard Kublalsingh's latest position on the highway matter.

"The people have become exhausted, Dr Rowley. These are not militant people, these are ordinary civilians and they have put down so many actions but this Government has become so insensitive," Kublalsingh told Rowley.

Kublalsingh said he wants to meet with the PNM's parliamentary caucus to present the Highway Resoute's position to see if it makes financial sense.
Rowley promised Kublalsingh that as soon as he is "up and about" he and his caucus would meet with the Highway Re-Route Movement and "start from scratch" to get their voices heard.

Kubalsingh said if the government sets up a committee that includes members of his group and people outside the government "to ensure a balanced review" he would accept whatever such a committee recommends.

Rowley noted that a committee has already met and considered the position but Kublalsingh refuted that, saying his group did not participate. "No, they met with us and we decided that to form a committee with two persons from our side and seven from their side. That's not acceptable. I am not an expert so we decided to not participate...

"What they have done is a rehash of the old ideas. There was no scientific data for that. There is no cost-benefit analysis of that," Kublalsingh told Rowley.

Rowley told Kublalsingh that he is concerned about how the situation might develop. "I am not very happy when I hear that you are prepared to take extreme action in order to get the Government to meet and treat with the situation," Rowley said.

(The above report is based on a news report in the Express newspaper)