Former Chief Minister, Mr Osbourne Fleming, has appeared on the platform of the Anguilla United Front, now campaigning for the 2015 general election. Mr Fleming, who retired from active politics in 2010 following his term of office, and passed on the leadership of the AUF to Mr Victor Banks, spoke at the party’s fundraising rally at Welches on October 11. The rally was held to raise funds for a number of persons in need of medical care.
He expressed thanks to various persons in the inner circle of the AUF for their support for two particular projects, one being Viceroy, now a leading resort in Anguilla and the other Saint James Medical School. “ I want to thank Mr Banks, Niel Rogers, Kenneth Harrigan, Eric Reid, Curtis Richardson, Donna Banks, Othlyn Vanterpool, Kenswick Richardson, Albert Hughes and Blondell Rogiers,” he stated. “These were people who stood behind the Government to see that project [Viceroy] come to what it is today. In spite of the criticisms, Anguilla would have been in serious problems today without it. I want to thank them for the satisfaction we are getting because a number of Anguillians are now employed.
“The second project that has come to mind, and has brought me much satisfaction, is the Medical School. I want to give full praise to Niel Rogers, Victor Banks, the Permanent Secretary and the workers who worked hard to see that project where it is today. I call on Will Richardson, Hamlet Harrigan, Todville Harrigan, the people at Best Buy, Proctor’s Supermarket, Albert’s Supermarket and all the other grocery stores, the car rentals and all those who rent their apartments, to come and take a bow.
He asked the people in ‘Mr Banks and Mr Rogers’ to give constituencies of them “another chance to extend to Anguillians ways and means by which they can exist”. He continued: “I also want to tell you that I am also a very aggrieved man tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, the Anguilla United Front was born out of an idea by Mr Banks, Eric Reid, Kenneth Harrigan and others to form a new coalition for the running of Anguilla.
“I want to make it clear that under no circumstance, in spite of the nonsense that you hear, I will never be ungrateful or hypocritical to this friendship that we worked so hard to bring about. Rumours have been around that there have been deserters – and let me say this: there is no need for any of those people I named, and for others, to leave the United Front especially at this time. What in the world could get into people who were on a decent party to leave and go anywhere at this time?” He said, however, that he was not “going to believe all the rumours.”
Mr Fleming went on: “The election of 2010 was a vicious election, and I feel that the people have now realised that they made a serious and fundamental mistake by putting those people in Government. I have no doubt in my mind that our people have awoken and Mr Banks will go back in office.” He also called on electorate to support the other AUF candidates in the various constituencies.
The former Chief Minister urged the electorate to consider the difficulties of life facing them and to reflect on the times when Anguillians were enjoying much prosperity under the AUF Government.
“I just want to end by saying let us band ourselves, encourage others to be with us and send all of the members of the AUM home where they belong.”
