A worrying trend is persisting among the leaders of the Alliance For Change, (AFC) who continue to misuse their position and parliamentary privilege for personal/selfish gains. The recent revelation of Mr. Nigel Hughes and his wife Cathy’s employment with Sithe Global, the company contracted to build the Amaila hydro project is testimony to the unprofessional conduct of the AFC leaders.

These leaders tend to target national projects for attacks/criticisms as a way of forcing investors of these projects to hire them and thereafter cancel their attacks/criticism. We have seen time and time again, AFC leaders raking in millions utilising the extortion approach. We must be reminded that extortion is a form of bribery, an act of obtaining money or other favours by the abuse of one’s office or authority.
 
We may all recall the vehement attacks by the AFC leadership against Fip Motilall who was contracted to build the road into Amaila. After Mr. Motilall ended up hiring AFC Member of Parliament, Cathy Hughes, those attacks/criticisms vanished. Since then we have not heard anything negative from the AFC camp against Mr. Motilall.   
 
The leader of that party, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan seemed to have been performing a lobbyist role, misusing his parliamentary privilege when he launched an offensive against the specialty hospital because his client Fedders’ Lloyd did not win the bid for the construction of that facility. If his client had won the bid, the AFC would have abandoned its offensive against the project.
 
Similarly, the attacks/criticisms against the Marriott Hotel project by the AFC are aimed at protecting the interests of its financier, the owner of the Pegasus Hotel, in an attempt to shield him from further competition in the hotel sector.
 
There are many other stories bringing into question the credibility and integrity of those associated with the AFC, including Moses Nagamootoo, Anand Goolsaran, Mark Benschop, Gehard Ramsaraoop, Sasenarine Singh, among others.
 
The employ of such clever ‘hustler’ tactics from among those in the leadership of this small political party, are at the least appalling, especially when they try to present themselves as holier-than- thou.
 
Isn’t it hilarious that the AFC in seeking to wriggle out of an obvious embarrassment due to the latest scandal involving the Hughes, now tries to confuse us with the need for a code of conduct which it boasted of having before now anyway?