Team Herald
VASCO: With the disqualification verdict imminent, Goencho Avaaz Party on Sunday appealed to the Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker to demonstrate integrity and the moral compass to do the right thing for Goa and to finally and rightfully give Goans the justice that they deserve.
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In the press note, Goencho Avaaz Party stated that having postponed the verdict so many times in the past, the party is hopeful that the 12 defectors would finally be held accountable for betraying the mandate of their respective voters.
The party firmly believes that the only way that justice can be meted out to the Goan populace is by disqualifying the 12 defectors.
“This will send out a clear message to every other politician that it is paramount to respect the mandate of the people and put the people’s wishes ahead of their own personal agenda. How could these defectors believe that it would be okay to change parties after being voted to power on the ticket of another party? Following the same logic, does this offer carte blanche to the Goan electorate to change their vote post elections if they are not happy with the results,” the party questioned.
“The people of Goa have been robbed of their democratic right of having a government of their choice. By wilfully going against the mandate of the people and compromising democracy in the State, these defectors have betrayed the Goan populace, setting a very dangerous precedent in Goa and resulting in the conception of a government through nefarious, undemocratic and underhand means. This is not a government of the people, by the people and for the people. This is a government that the people of Goa did not want and did not vote to power. And this perhaps is the reason behind the series of destructive, anti-people, anti-environment policies and initiatives that we are being forced to endure in these troubled times,” it claimed.
“It is true that power grabbing and attempting to win elections by any mean has been the hallmark of the ruling dispensation, politicians of all parties need to understand that jumping parties is totally unacceptable in our democratic system. The Goan populace deserves and should get better. Given how Goa is now being sold to vested interests, the reason for the BJP’s desperation to catapult into power by any means has become abundantly clear. And by virtue of supporting the ruling dispensation, the 12 defectors have become complicit in the irreversible destruction and plunder of our motherland”, the party charged.
Goencho Avaaz Party firmly believes that Goan politics needs to undergo a massive cleanup. A fair and just verdict by the Speaker of disqualifying the defectors will be a step in the right direction and will help tremendously in restoring democracy in the State.
“However, consequent to the disqualification, should President’s rule be imposed in Goa, the Centre should by no means regard it as an opportunity to steamroll their pet policies and projects that Goans are vehemently protesting and which are causing irreversible destruction to Goa. Goencho Avaaz will be carefully watching and will strongly oppose any project or policy that goes against the interests of Goa and Goans,” it added.
