Response to Randall Overbey

P. O. Box 128,
San Fernando,

10 July, 2006

The Editor-in-chief
Trinidad Guardian,
22-24 St. Vincent Street,
Port of Spain

Dear Sir,
In the article on the proposed Alcoa smelter in your issue of 8 July, 2006, you report Randall Overby as saying “I know that there has been a lot of noise in the media, but we are proceeding with the smelter” Either subconsciously or more probably, very deliberately, he describes the voice and the legitimate protests of the people of Trinidad and Tobago against the smelter as noise. This shows very clearly what he thinks of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
For the benefit of Overby and those of us who may have forgotten, please let me recall the following facts.
1.In the last General Elections held in Trinidad and Tobago on 7 October, 2002, the total number of votes for P.N.M. candidates represented just over 35 % of the electorate while the total number of votes for other parties represented 34 % of the electorate.
The present P.N.M. Government does NOT represent a majority of the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the voice of the present P.N.M. Government is NOT the voice of the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
2. Also, in the last General Election, the P.N.M. candidate for the Electoral District of Point Fortin was elected on the votes of 46 % of that electorate. But in the polling divisions of the South-West Peninsular - Chatham, Coromandel, Granville, Bonasse, Fullerton and Icacos, he received 18.6 % of the votes of the electorate while the other candidate received 61.2% of the votes of the electorate.
The present P.N.M. Member of Parliament for Point Fortin does not represent a majority of the people of the Point Fortin constituency and even though he is supposed to represent the people of the South-West Peninsular, less than 19% of the electorate there voted for him. The voice of the MP for Point Fortin is NOT the voice of the people of Point Fortin and most decidedly it is NOT the voice of the People of the South-West Peninsular.
3. According to a UWI / ANSA McAl nationwide poll, a clear majority of 66 % of the population do not support the setting up of an aluminium smelter in Chatham.
Further, the vast majority of the People of the South-West Peninsular do not want a smelter in the Peninsular. For their own good, they have expressed this in a clear and unequivocal voice.
May I suggest that Overby consider long and carefully the two sayings :
SALUS POPULI SUPREMA EST LEX - THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE IS THE HIGHEST LAW
VOX POPULI VOX DEI - THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE IS THE VOICE OF GOD
Overby is reported as going on to say “We are not going to be using bulldozers for this drilling” Obviously he has bulldozers on his mind and is planning to use them later.
If Overby thinks he can bulldoze his way against the Good and against the Voice of the poor and polite people of the South-West Peninsular, he should stop and think again and listen to their Voice.
There is a local saying to the effect that those who do not listen will learn the hard way or that those who do not hear will feel.
The People of the South-West Peninsular may be poor and polite and Overby may think that he is rich and powerful and can buy his way. Let us hope that he does not have to learn the hard way that the poor and polite People of the South-West Peninsular are not powerless.
Yours truly,

J. Chin Aleong
for The Friends of the People of the South - West Peninsular