Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves has promised the people of that country that he is prepared to listen more to them after his party won a third consecutive term in yesterday’s elections.
Speaking last evening to the nation he said it’s time for healing and cooperation in the country following the general elections.
Gonsalves’ Unity Labour Party (ULP) won a slim margin in the elections, winning eight of the 15 seats up for grabs and the New Democratic Party, under Arnhim Eustace, won seven seats. The ULP went into the election with a 12-3 majority in the last parliament.
“This country has seen a lot of divisiveness and bitterness, perhaps even hatred through politics. I’m hoping that now that we have this contest behind us we can have a time for healing and for cooperation. I know in our competitive politics it is often difficult to cooperate but the honourable members on the opposition would know that there is more which unites us in this country than divides us. I reach out as I did in 2001, as I did in 2005, that it takes two to tangle; if the opposition does not respond appropriately, well the people will see. We have a government to run,” Gonsalves said.
Gonsalves promised the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines to listen even more keenly than ever before.
“I promise to empower you or to assist you in empowering yourself even more than ever before,” he said.
The prime minister said there is a great task ahead in these hard economic times.
“We have weathered the financial and economic storm pretty well but I say to you next year is also going to be a most challenging year. We are not yet out of the woods,” he said.
Gonsalves said the government will continue to work hard and he intends to complete the Argyle International Airport, continue the education revolution, create low-income houses, create more jobs and wealth to make the economy more safer, better and stronger.
He told Vincentians that they will see him on the streets more often than before. “I repeat, I will listen very attentively. I do listen and I do listen well. I will interpret what you say very keenly, you will see me on the streets far more than you have seen me over the last five years. I will be in communion with you,” he said.
He said a swearing-in ceremony is planned for this Wednesday where he will be sworn in as Prime Minister and Girlyn Miguel as Deputy Prime Minister. He also said part of the cabinet will be sworn in on Wednesday.
He thanked the supervisor of elections as well as the regional and international observers who monitored the elections.
The prime minister further called on the nation to participate in a day of prayer and thanksgiving this Sunday, and promised to provide five more years of leadership.
He also had a message to those persons who do not like him. “I am asking those who don’t like the comrade, I am asking those for whatever reasons being vanity or that I am standing in your way, look the people have spoken, forget about many of the things you say about me – the falsehoods; let us try to see if we could work together better for St Vincent and the Grenadines. I am prepared to give it a chance because as we say it takes two hands to clap, it takes two dancers to tango,” he said.
Today is a public holiday in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
well the unity labor party will be on it P’s and Q’S, since the oposition will be watching .its like walkin on nails but congrats Mr prime Minister. take care of my country cause me love vincy people.from a vincy in da.
Congrats in order comrade ,the caribbean need your experience and leadership…hope the lost of 4 seats will make your humble and and never take people for granted….respect due all the time
what ralph win have to do with allu d.l.p affiliation gosh man,,,,”congrats from ur labour supporter” u must b a fool,,,,ralph fool skerro n dominicans on a whole when he said d/ca don’t need int’l airport n behind our back got china to fund his own instead,,,,but what ralph do in his place has nothing to do with me so all i’ll say is “congratulations mr p.m”
Congratulations Mr. Gonsalve, you win. All the best from Dominica, as you continue to fight for improvement to the region.
congratulations to the ulp and the ppl of st vincent and the hon ralph gonsalves on his relection as pm of svg. keep on with the struggles bro. need you around to keep guys like chastenet in check.
Congratulation Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves! The people have spoken.
CONGRATS TO PM GONSALVES..FROM YR LABOUR SUPPORTERS IN DOMINICA.
CONGRATULATIONS PRIME MINISTER GONSALS AND GOD BLESS U AND YOUR PARTY.
A WIN IS A WIN.
Gonsalves again? Bah, humbug!
Thats not victory 8 seats down from 12. Congrates to Mr. Gonsalves but also the New Democratic Party by increasing to 7 seats from 3
Congratulations to PM. Gonsalves!
The full story indicates that St. Vincent is a country of 120,000 people yet there are 100,050 names on the electoral list. Wasn’t that the same kind of reference that was made in the case of the Dominica elections which has the Opposition still crying “clean up the voters list”? The same list that existed (including new registrations of course) in 1995 when the UWP won and 2000, 2005, 2010 when they lost seats progressively? The same list that saw people from La Plaine being registered in Roseau Central because La Plaine was considered a safe seat, in order to boost the Roseau Central candidate? The same thing that happened when new voters from Castle Comfort and elsewhere were registered in Roseau Central to get the same result? Now they cannot stop crying about electoral reform, electoral reform, electoral reform, electoral reform, like a stuck record.
Yes, the list has to be cleaned up but but how much cleaning did they do in their short stint? If anything, the list was “muddied” up by the two instances mentioned and trust me I KNOW, THEY KNOW, AND THEY KNOW THAT I KNOW!!!! I WAS PART OF THAT TEAM THEN!!!
Pleased to note that St. Vincent now has a viable opposition. This is healthy and necessary for the survival of democracy.
Congrats to you and the people of St. Vincent.. Mr. Gonsalves..
Congratulations Mr. Gonsalves, you pulled through by the skin of your teeth. Anyway, a win is win, so congratulations once more.
Congratulation Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves
Congratulations to M Gonsals on his victory. Continue to do the work of the people and may god bless u
Let me congratulate Prime Minister, Doctor the Honorable Ralph Gonsalves for winning the just concluded General Elections in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. While the margin is small 8 seats in favor of the Unity Labor Party (ULP) and 7 seats to the New Dmocratic Party (NDP) led by Arnhim Eustace, it is still a victory. I believe this victory by the ULP will enable them to bring much of the programmes that they have started to fruition. I believe one of the more serious issues is the ongoing construction of the International Airport at Argyle. I am sure that under this new term of the ULP the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines will see their international Airport completed.
Best wishes for a successful new term in office to the Honorable Prime Minister and his party. I look forward to your contined advocacy for greater Caribbean integration and for working even harder to improve the lives and wellbing of the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines by taking a more responsible and sustainable approach to the socio economic development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines