I won’t play politics

Moneque Brown, now President of the Lluidas Vale Community Development Committee (Lluidas Vale CDC) in St. Catherine, has appealed for all residents to join her in advancing the welfare of the community, adding that no politics will be involved in the organization.

Brown, in the meantime, is an activist of the People’s National Party (PNP) and an assistant to Councillor for the Lluidas Vale Division Hugh Graham.

She previously served the Lluidas Vale CDC in lower positions, but her ascendancy to President of the powerful community-based organization has sparked fears of a possible conflict of interest.

Brown has tried to allay those fears.

“When it comes on to CDC, it is about the Lluidas Vale community where I live; it doesn’t matter to me what happens politically; CDC is not about politics…” she said during a CDC meeting at Lluidas Vale Primary School on Sunday, February 2.

Brown added: “When I step through this door [at the venue], I put on my political hat. That time, it is PNP all the time everywhere I go. But when it comes to CDC, the PNP hat wrap up and put down in a little bag and it stay down there until.”

Brown noted that decisions regarding the Lluidas Vale CDC are made by an executive – not solely by her.

She further stated that many members of the community are reluctant to serve. “It has always been this case with the Lluidas Vale CDC. When you look at the CDC, 99 percent of the CDC from day one has always been PNP persons. The persons who want to do the work; they tend to follow line with the PNP,” Brown added.

She, in the meantime, urged residents to put politics aside and stop expecting politicians to take the lead in addressing their community problems.

“I am going to be honest. No MP, no Councillor, no Prime Minister is going to fix Lluidas Vale. We who live here have to fix Vale. All we can do is start and ask for assistance from the powers that be,” Brown further said.

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