Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Sunday used a rally celebrating the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) 24th anniversary in office to ask voters to elect the party to a sixth consecutive five-year term in office.
“First of all, I want to affirm that this rally, this celebratory rally, is not about us in the leadership of the party. It is not about Comrade Ralph,” Gonsalves told the event at the Chatoyer National Park at Rabacca.
“This rally is to celebrate the faithful love and support of the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who are gathered here in the largest political rally in the history of this country to celebrate and commemorate 24 years of tremendous achievements,” he said.
The rally included performances by local and regional artistes, with Blacka Dan, of Grenada, and Sanchez, of Jamaica, as the headline acts.
Gonsalves, who turns 79 in August, will lead the party in its re-election bid. As has been the case in previous election campaigns, speakers at the event praised his leadership of the party, presenting him as one of its main selling points.
“This is not about any one individual. This Labour family, this family of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we are in solidarity with one another,” Gonsalves said.
“Like in all families, from time to time, we may have disagreements, we may have grumbles, but as the Good Lord taught Moses, grumble not. Fear not. Love and let us go forth.”
The prime minister said the achievements of his government over the last 24 years are “absolutely historic; impressive”.
“We have transformed St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the better by far… All what we have achieved would not have been possible without us working together.”
The prime minister said some people do not share “the glory of the perspectives of the people-centred vision of our philosophy, our policies and programmes and they will try to tear us down.
“… But you see tonight, as we begin a pre-campaign, which is a celebration and itself, moving forward to the sixth term, do not be afraid. Do not be dismayed. Do not allow anybody to kafuffle your mind.
“And above all, I ask you not to try to be a Samson and pull the temple down on everybody head, including you, because doing that will not create, in our context, the opportunities for further development.”
Gonsalves said that those seeking a chance at government should play a lottery game.
“… you don’t take chance with your country. You don’t take chance with your future. You don’t take chance with your children’s future. You don’t take chance with your constituency future.”
He said his government has done “all the big strategic things right, and every time a large strategic issue has arisen, the NDP (New Democratic Party) has found itself on the wrong side”.
The prime minister said that during its 17 years in office, the NDP did not build a secondary school at Sandy Bay.
“That is the height of wickedness,” he said, noting that the NDP government also did not build a bridge at Rabacca.
“They did not even raise the question. They didn’t raise it, not because of any technical incapacity, but because of the absence of love and justice.
The ULP will be fielding a new candidate, Hospital Administrator, Grave Walters in North Windward.
She is replacing Deputy PM Montgomery Daniel, who is retiring from electoral politics after five five-year terms as MP for the district.
“… he has built 14 bridges in this constituency, and he’s working on five major ones right now — 19 in all,” Gonsalves said of Daniel.
“This is a man with love and justice. This is a party, and this is a government with love and justice,” he said, adding that Walters had delivered “a fantastic speech” at the rally.
“… and you are clear that Gomery has taken us safe thus far and grace will lead us,” Gonsalves said.
In her speech, the second since becoming the ULP candidate in February, Walters found herself on the defensive for her absence from North Windward during the eruption of La Soufriere.
Walters explained that she was performing her duties as the hospital administrator, including preparing for possible mass casualty incidents as a result of the evacuation.
However, the eruption continued for two weeks and the immediate impacts lasted about four months.
