PANAJI/MARGAO
Days after being picked by the ‘High Command’ to be the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao was on Friday officially recognised as Leader of Opposition in the Goa legislative assembly.
“Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar has recognised Yuri Alemao as LoP in the Goa legislative Assembly, with effect from September 30,” Goa Legislative Assembly Secretary Namrata Ulman said in a communique.
Alemao, who heads the three-member CLP meanwhile took a conciliatory stance vis-a-vis other Opposition parties in the House saying he will adopt a consultative approach with all Opposition MLAs.
“I will adopt a consultative process with all opposition MLA’s and lead to espouse the voice of Goans and be the guard against abuse of power,” Alemao said.
Saying that the post of Opposition Leader is a challenging job, Yuri said he will take guidance from constitutional experts, former legislators, intellectuals, thinkers, subject experts while performing his duties.
“I will also have a dialogue with all NGOs, industry and trade associations and social and cultural groups to understand and voice their issues. Goa and Goans are facing tough challenges on various fronts. Our environment, heritage & identity is at stake. Unemployment rate is at all time high with government clueless on creating employment opportunities. My first task will be to initiate a peoples movement against the anti-people policies of the government,” Yuri said.
After the recent mass defection of eight from eleven Congress legislators into the ruling BJP, the beleaguered Opposition is left with depleted numbers below one-fifth of the strength of the House.
Of the seven who occupy the Opposition benches, three including Alemao belong to the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has two legislators and there is one MLA each of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP).
