Pep Supports National Plan Policy To Eradicate Bad Political Habits


The practice of an incoming government discontinuing major projects that were embarked on by a previous administration is not one that the People’s Empowerment Party (PEP) supports, and the organization announced that they will not be adopting that policy if they are elected to office.

Speaking on their first radio program which was aired on ZBVI Radio on 29  September Party Secretary, Ms. Julia Christopher announced that the practice is one that she has noted over the years and is unhappy with: “One of the things I have observed over the past years is one government would decide that they would do XYZ program and with the change of administration in any general election those programs are put on hold and millions of tax-payers dollars are involved in those projects, but never brought to completion because they are not the first priority of the incoming administration.”

The PEP Secretary, who  is a well-known former senior public servant said that she believes that it should stop: “From experience Hon. [Alvin] Christopher and I know Governments have lost a lot of money because this person or this political party or individual was in the ministry when this project was being done….If we are a party that rises into power after another one we would expect that there were good things being done, we would continue those good things in the best interest of the people because the people are our greatest concern. Moving this country forward to the benefit of everyone that is what we are all about.”

She opined that this undesirable situation can be eradicated with the implementation of a national plan. In fact, Ms. Christopher said: “If there is a national plan developed on how you are going to go about whatever the government is going to do, then whether there is change of government [or not]we must select from those programs that were approved under a national plan for development of the country as a whole.”

President of PEP, Natalio ‘Sowande’ Wheatley agreed with Ms. Christopher’s remarks and said there is a great need for a national plan. He announced: “Political parties can make themselves more appealing based on how well they execute that national plan not necessarily that you scrap another government’s [plan]. It would be a national plan, won’t be a party plan, not a PEP plan, it would be our plan that deals with the development of the Territory. You go in and execute based on what the mandate of the people is.”