Opposition Senator Wade Mark has assured the residents of East Port of Spain that they will be getting some assistance from the United National Congress.
This after tenants of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) apartments on Independence Square and Duncan Street were evicted on Saturday.
The action by HDC led to residents burning debris in the streets and clashing with members of the armed forces.
During the UNC’s weekly Sunday press conference at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Port of Spain, Mark revealed that a team of three lawyers headed by Chaguanas West MP Dinesh Rambally has been sent to aid the residents.
This team visited the residents on Sunday morning.
Mark said the Opposition will be meeting with the residents today (Monday). He said these residents were “uprooted” and treated like “dogs” and “slaves.” He said the HDC brought police to ensure tenants vacated their homes, some who lived there for over 50 years.
“What a shameless episode TT witnessed. Well, the UNC has intervened and we have sent a team of lawyers to East Port of Spain. We will not sit idly by and allow the People’s National Movement to simply ride roughshod over the citizens,” Mark said.
He said although these same people may have voted for the PNM, they are citizens “and we are going to defend their rights and freedoms.
“The PNM wants to create an Eastmoorings, I am warning the people of East Port of Spain.”
Mark accused the Government of getting rid of the people and telling them that the space was going to be renovated and rebuilt. Instead the residents were being sent to spaces in south and central Trinidad while many of the residents’ jobs are in Port of Spain.
“They are so insensitive to the needs of their own constituents that they bring in police to run these people and they went and broke down their windows. They forced them to remove their belongings.”
COMMENTS