A Counter View: Celebrating 24 years of Bad Governance, Corruption and Lawlessness with the ULP.
For 24 years, the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) have lodged all the power in the Unity Labour Party, and it continues to insure bad governance and the inevitable deterioration of the public morals of most Vincentians.
Over the last 24 years, the people of SVG have elected the same prime minister and it continues to lead the nation in a situation where the government fails to adhere to principles and practices that ensure accountability, transparency, fairness, and effective oversight of its operations. The nation’s journey over the last 24 years has been one of regression, corruption, lawlessness and nepotism.
Under the leadership of the self-proclaimed “World Boss”, PM Gonsalves, SVG has seen progress being hindered in critical areas like poverty, unemployment, and crime reduction. The country continues to experience weakened key institutions like the schools, churches, infrastructures, health and police services. One would have thought that after more than 2 decades in government that such key functions and responsibilities of government would have been easily taken care of. The contrary remains evident and is proving to be very detrimental.
A Rally That Showed the Desperation of the People:
The recently held rally to celebrate 24 years of government by the ULP only further highlights how far back as a nation we have regressed under the Ralph Gonsalves regime. To quote the ULP view, “The electrifying mass rally held at Chatoyer National Park to commemorate our 24 years in office was a powerful statement of the people’s unwavering support.”
Now, one has to question whether the thousands of people that were there genuinely attended the rally as a ULP or NDP faithful, for entertainment, or to listen and see if they are being promised more handouts and treats as always. In the words of Buju Banton “Circumstances made me what I am. Was I born a violent man? Circumstances made me what I am. Everyone should understand.”
Yes! Vincentians I do understand that with sheer desperation and the desire for change given your circumstance young and old, workers and business owners, students and farmers- went out in their numbers at such a rally.
- The hundreds of workers that were dismissed as a result of the wicked vaccine mandate,
- the almost 40 plus percentage of youths without a job,
- the 30 plus percentage people living in poverty,
- the scores of Vincentians living from paycheck to paycheck, and in fear of victimization and crime and violence,
I do understand the need for you to attend such a rally, to listen and hear if any policies are going to be shared that would offer you some comfort. However, as always, such rallies are only used as a platform to further create the political divide and celebrate the prime minister.
A Legacy Being Crushed, A Future of the Unknown
Undoubtedly, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves is a man that is admired by many at home, regionally and internationally. It would be dishonesty for me to say that his legacy is not one to be admired. He has over the years represented himself as a work of art. However, recently such a reputation has started to wane.
According to Toni Morrison, “All art is knowing when to stop”. Coming out of the recently concluded rally celebrating 24 years of governance, the prime minister begged the audience for another 5 years as the ruler of the land. This plea was made amidst all the signs that he has already started destroying his legacy and that the majority of Vincentians as was shown last election have grown fed up with his government.
It is evident that PM Gonsalves does not know when to stop, or he is afraid of stopping, because he still cannot see an alternative to himself. One of the key flaws in the legacy of PM Gonsalves is that of his inability to create the next generation of leaders. His party will be contesting another election where the decision on who to pass the leader of the party baton to is still in confusion.
How can a leader so great and in government for over 2 decades be failing so miserably with a succession plan for the political party he worked so hard to make a success? Or is it that his attempts to create a dynasty by passing on leadership to his “prince in waiting” is proving too difficult for him? It is evident that he lacks strength and that his grip of fear on the nation is only getting weaker the longer he stays in power.
Wake up, Vincentians! Change is Needed! Enough is Enough!
James Bovard prudently posits that “the first step in saving our liberty is to realize how much we have already lost, how we lost it, and how we will continue to lose it unless fundamental political changes occur”. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is ranked in the top 20 of countries with the world’s longest-serving leaders. Just ahead of SVG is Russia, and the majority of the countries that make up the top 20 are countries that run a communist political system.
Does it surprise you that our country is often called a communist? Afterall, as the elders in society always say, “by your company you shall be known”. Vincentians, are you prepared to allow 5 more years of the misuse of authority for personal benefit by PM Gonsalves? Such action is called corruption, and it is one of the major barriers to the social and economic development of SVG.
According to the World Bank, corruption obstructs the development of a country by undermining the efficacy of legal frameworks and demolishing the institutional base that underpins economic expansion. Vincentians, the choice is yours.
