ST. GEORGE’S Grenada: The Opposition National Democratic Congress in Grenada has once more called on the government to resign and call fresh elections. The NDC made this call at one of its political rallies held on Sunday in the south of the island. The NDC during its rally lashed out at the government over what they consider to be a 5 percent income tax, but in recent times the government has indicated that it was not an income tax but a 5 percent deductible worker contribution to assist in the rebuilding of the country after being so hard hit by Hurricane Ivan last September. The opposition party told its supporters that the 5 percent is the government’s departure tax to vacate office and seek a new mandate. NDC’s Kenrick Fullerton told party supporters during the rally that they should depart from any imposition of taxes on the nation at this point in time. Fullerton said that the government during its campaign in 1995 told supporters and the country in general that once the New National Party gets into the power they will never reintroduce any form of personal income tax on the nation. “If that is the mandate for which you have been elected, if that is the principle that you stand for as a government, if you want to depart from that principle, you must return to the polls and seek a new mandate. In other words you must resign as an administration and go back to the polls for free and fresh elections in this country,” Fullerton said. Trade Unionist Chester Humphrey said that no one can trust the government with 5 percent; he said that these are serious times in Grenada and the people should be mindful. “Keith Mitchell has miserably failed this country on every single count that we can only arrive at one conclusion, it is time for Mitchell and his band TO GO,” Humphrey said. The trade unionist said that this call and this slogan should resonate through the length and breadth of this country. “Grenadians should put on the armour of struggle once again,” he said. Humphrey stated that Grenadians must engage in civil disobedience if that is necessary. It was stated further that that the people should be planning and discussing the coming together of the largest assembly to protest Mitchell’s resignation. He said that they should occupy the heart of the city and they should not go home nor move from the streets until Prime Minister Mitchell dissolves the government and fresh elections are put to the people. Opposition Leader Tillman Thomas lashed out at the government saying that these are times when money should be used wisely, but as a government they have abused the people’s funds and the NDC cannot support the 5 percent deductible worker contribution. Thomas listed a number of economic damages that he claims was done by the NNP government, he said the first being a loan guarantee of $28 million to build a hotel in Gulf Course. He said that the project has started and allegedly collapsed and Grenadians are saddled with a loan of $28 million. Economic damage number two Tillman says was the Hogg Island and Mt. Hartman project, the third being the Dipcon judgment where the government allegedly broke a contract and the people have to pay $20 million for the breaking of this contract, and fourth, the Opposition Leader said, the $150,000 to break the contract of the former Attorney General Raymond Anthony. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com