Government, Opposition clash over country road

The opposition NDP is still not happy with the way the government is dealing with the Republic of China on Taiwan. Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace made his feelings known last Tuesday. {{more}}
He said he had written to the ROC Ambassador over a year ago expressing his opposition to the construction of the cross country road an issue which has been a bone of contention between the two main political forces here over the past year.
As Eustace indicated, the cross country road, one of the main planks of the ULP’s election campaign pledges, is an “election gimmick”
But Eustace pointed out: “ I have become increasingly concerned that the government is bringing unnecessary levels of pressure on that country to finance projects and programmes, large and small.”
The opposition leader noted that ROC disbursed money differently from other donors, and he urged the government to desist from the practice of pressuring the ROC “if we are to continue our excellent relations.”
A Taiwanese company is one of contractors of the cross country road, but Eustace is worried that the project has been given the green light without an Environmental Impact Study.
Eustace insisted that the cost of the project would be affected without a proper environmental impact study.
And he gave warning that the NDP is going to protest the construction of that cross country.
Programmes on radio and television will lay the groundwork for the NDP opposition and Eustace is confident that the project will be stopped in the same way the Tobago Cays matters were shelved.