THE Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) slammed the Government and the Opposition for continuously distracting the population with the Brent Thomas matter and the awarding of silk.
The party claimed that by doing this, the PNM and UNC are allowing more important issues to escape the public's attention.
In a statement on Sunday, MSJ political leader David Abdulah said the party will bring these issues to the fore because "none of the other political parties are prepared to challenge the status quo."
He cited ANSA McAl and Massy Groups recording revenues of $1.595 billion and $6.8 billion respectively in the first quarter of 2023.
"At the same time the income of the vast majority of citizens –workers, small and medium-size business people, the self-employed, farmers and fisher-folk – remained the same. Most have not had an increase in ten years,"
Describing this a case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, Abdulah said these are matters which are studiously avoided by the PNM and the UNC, inside and outside of Parliament.
Abdulah said, "The reality is that neither parliamentary party is going to change the status quo of who controls economic power and who benefits from that control."
He reiterated the MSJ's view that all of the big companies in TT, regardless of which sector they operate in, "are favoured by whichever party is in office. This is why these companies thrive regardless of who is in office."
Abdulah said this is why these entities continue to thrive, regardless of the political party in power.
He added that ordinary citizens have absolutely no interest in Brent Thomas or silk.
"Unless this is changed so that everyone will truly experience the reality that they have a fair stake in the country and have the opportunity to benefit from its wealth, then we will have some, mostly young men, who feel so dispossessed that they will stop at nothing to dispossess others of everything including our lives."
Abdulah said this was one of the factors contributing to crime in TT.
But he added that the Government and Opposition continue to ignore this fact.
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