Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was the butt of criticism from her former colleagues Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Trevor Sudama and David Abdulah at yesterday's rally organised by the Highway Re-Route Movement at Durbassa Trace, San Francique.

Ex-attorney general Maharaj accused the Prime Minister of developing an "eat-ah-food society", while Sudama, former MP for Oropouche, said he attended the meeting "to haunt" Persad-Bissessar.

"I hear them asking where those dead people come from. Well, I am more alive than Maharaj and if I dead I am here to haunt Kamla," said Sudama.

Movement for Social Justice leader Abdulah, who recently broke away from the People's Partnership Government, said: "After 50 years, we do not have a nation because the present Government is bent on destroying communities."

He said people are clamouring for centres of power while the Government is creating a dangerous situation by releasing people charged with crimes without making them face a trial.

"When people who are charged with a crime and are not brought to justice, then we are losing the soul of the nation," said Abdulah.

He told members and supporters of the Re-Route Movement: "Let us fight for a new political power."

Endorsing what Abdulah said, Maharaj added: "If it is necessary to form a coalition to oppose Government, we will do just that."

Maharaj said it was ridiculous for a government minister to intervene in the struggle by the residents of Debe to Mon Desir, in preventing the organisers from holding yesterday's meeting at Jokhan Temple.

After refusal by the management of the temple, even after they had previously agreed to have the meeting held there, Maharaj claimed: "It was the Government that prevented the Re-Route Movement from holding the meeting at that venue."

At the last minute, the organisers decided to hold the meeting at the Durbassa Recreation Ground.

Maharaj accused the Government of reneging on its election promises on the issue of the Point Fortin Highway.

"When they were in Opposition, both Kamla and Roodal Moonilal had promised the people that they would oppose the construction of the highway."

Maharaj said even as it was decided to build the highway, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar had promised the residents that work on the highway would be suspended pending an engineering study.

"Instead of keeping to her promise, the Minister of Works announced that the highway construction would continue. Why is the Government so interested in passing the highway through agricultural lands, with the possibility of creating flooding in the area."

Maharaj said the Government had no right to send the Minister of National Security and the head of the Defence Force to destroy the tent erected by members of the Re-Route Movement in July.

Another public meeting is scheduled for next month in Point Fortin.