Siparia Mayor: Councillor betrayed the people

SIPARIA Mayor Doodnath Mayrhoo has condemned former UNC councillor Jason Ali for defecting to the PNM.

He did so during a meeting of the Siparia Borough Corporation on August 27.

Looking at Ali, as he sat with PNM councillors, Mayrhoo told him, "There is a word we call betrayal."

He said in the Bhagavad Gita, people who commits such acts are described as neemakharams.

Mayhroo asked Ali, "Are you aware of the name 'neemakaram'?"

He recalled that Ali had not been councillor for a year when he decided to resign from the UNC and join the PNM on August 15.

Mayhroo had his theory why Ali decided to join the PNM

"You betrayed the trust of the people of Siparia West/Fyzabad because of greed for power."

Mayhroo announced that UNC alderman Victor Roberts will act as shadow Siparia West/Fyzabad councillor because of Ali's defection to the PNM.

Roberts, who unsuccessfully contested the La Brea constituency in the August 10, 2020 general election, was aligned with the United Patriots slate in the UNC's internal elections in June.

He, along with other members of that slate, questioned the ability of UNC political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar to lead the party to victory in the next general election which is constitutionally due in 2025.

The United Patriots were resoundingly defeated by the Persad-Bissessar endorsed Star slate in the UNC's internal elections.

As Mayrhoo criticised him, Ali was unresponsive and looked on.

When he resigned from the UNC on August 17, Ali cited a series of internal party issues such as failure to deal with allegations of corruption as the reasons for his resignation.

Ali was screened last week by the PNM along with four other people as nominees to contest the Fyzabad constituency in the election.

The constituency is currently represented by UNC MP Dr Lackram Bodoe.

One of the other nominees being screened for this seat is Kheron Khan, son of former energy minister Franklin Khan who died on April 17, 2021.

Franklin Khan was also a former PNM chairman, local government minister and works and transport minister.