Opposition Leader Bruce Golding has described Richard Azan, the Member of Parliament for Northwestern Clarendon and state minister in the Ministry of Housing, Water and Transport as “a political relic” whose time in politics should be limited to one term.

Speaking at the party’s Central Executive meeting at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston yesterday, Golding said he was in no doubt that Azan would be entrusted to oversee the Government’s almost $9 billion budgetary allocation for roads and hurricane relief.

“Last year, they put $305 million there. This year they increase it to $6.1 billion. They had another programme for road maintenance, last year it was $907m, this year it has been increased to $2.8b. So between flood damage repairs and road maintenance, you are talking about $9b that has been provided.

Those of you who have had the experience and encounter with this money, and how this money is likely to be spent, know that this money is likely to be put under the charge of somebody named Richard Azan,” Golding told party members.

The meeting was called to discuss, inter alia the state of readiness of the party’s election apparatus.

Giving the charge, Golding said: “Richard Azan, and I say this open and publicly. Richard Azan is part of the relic of politics that we should have left behind. He represents a kind of politics that goes back to the dark days, where when you are in power, the other side must die for hunger. Where money is being spent, everybody must pay taxes, but one set of people must receive the benefits of those taxes.

“If ever there was someone who entered the portals of Gordon House who needs to be removed with dispatch, it is Richard Azan,” he said to loud applause.

He then instructed the party’s candidate to remove him from office, in the upcoming elections. “Mikey (Michael Stern) we charging you with that responsibility,” the JLP leader said.

Golding said it was not only the “blatant victimisation” for which Azan makes no apology, it was Azan’s belief that “when you are in power you fix up yourself”.

According to the Opposition Leader, the “disgraceful conduct” of the minister of government had not been met with any disapproval from the prime minister.

However, Golding urged JLP supporters to embrace PNP supporters, stating that the county would get nowhere if everytime there was an election one side decided that it would not work with the other side.