MESSAGE from the Honourable Arnhim Eustace, President of the NDP
Fellow Vincentians
As you would have heard by now, the long awaited judgement of the court in relation to the ULP’s application to throw out the NDP’s election petitions will be delivered on this Monday, at 11:00 am at the Court House in Kingstown. I am here tonight to speak to you about the momentous occasion that is upon us now as a nation.
We the NDP believe that Vincentians have been disenfranchise of their vote at the December 09, 2015 General Elections and this is a critical and fundamental problem for the very foundations of democracy and for the future of this country.
Because of this, we therefore filed a legal challenge to the results in two constituencies, Central Leeward and North Windward, naming the Supervisor of Elections and others as respondents. In response to our legal action, the respondents have filed an application to the court to have our petitions thrown out. The application for throwing out our petitions is based on a technicality. What the respondents are saying is that because of some perceived technicality in the filing of our case, which has nothing to do with the merit of our case, that our case should be thrown out. It should not even be heard by the Court!!!!
I wish to ask you the listeners to pause here to consider the grave and fundamental importance of this moment. If the ULP’s application is granted by the Court, it will mean that no evidence of the numerous irregularities uncovered including the illegal ballot paper used, the actions of the Electoral officer etc, will be exposed in a court of law. I wish to emphasize that this illegitimate regime continues to fear that the real and persuasive evidence of how this elections was stolen will be disclosed in court. At this time on Monday, you the people of SVG will know if the ULP’s anti democratic tactics have succeeded.
In my 20 years of parliamentary politics, I have faced many challenges including being physically thrown out with my colleagues from Parliament in 2011 and more recently being manhandled by an armed riot squad. This moment, however, as we confront this threat to our democracy, I have considered to be my greatest time of challenge.
The next generation will judge us all by where we stand in this defining moment. On Monday morning, I will be in Kingstown. I call on every Vincentian to stand on the side of democracy on Monday morning.
God night and may God bless us all.
