MARGAO: Saying that the people of Goa should seize the opportunity to tell the government not to meddle in grass root bodies, the Goan for Goa and Goa’s Movement against Ordinance have urged all Goans to oppose candidates contesting on party lines and vote for the Independents.
“The ball is actually in the people’s court. The moment has come for the people to seize the opportunity in both hands to tell the government not to meddle in our grass root local self government bodies,” stated GFG Convenor Kennedy Afonso, while threatening to intensify its against candidates contesting on party lines in the next seven days.
He said the government has given no powers and functions to the Zillas, making them toothless tigers. “This makes the election exercise meaningless, and is serving only as a vote polarising exercise for the BJP and its alliance partners,” he said, while requesting the people not to be drawn into the debate of good and bad candidates, as they can hardly do anything for the people, or their respective constituencies sans functions and powers.
He said the GFG along with Goa’s Movement against Panchayat ordinance (GMAPO) has filed a writ petition in the High Court of Goa, and the final hearing, along with other similar cases, is scheduled for March 16, 2015, wherein an interim prayer for relief has been made to at least freeze the party symbols, and allow all the candidates to contest as Independents, in the event if the election process cannot be halted at this stage. “In this fight to protect grassroots democracy, GFG has taken recourse to the highest court of the land,” he said, while disclosing plans to intensify the movement against candidates contesting on party lines in the next seven days.
