ULP and Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves
St. Vincent, Sept 15, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has listed seven reasons why his ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) should be re-elect for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term in office.
Gonsalves has already said he intends to call the general elections before yearend, ahead of the March 2016 constitutional deadline.
He told a ULP campaign rally that there were seven reasons why the ULP, which came to office in March 2001, should continue to govern St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“First of all, our vision our philosophy, our policies, our programme in economics in education, in health, in social infrastructure, in foreign policy, in everything,” Gonsalves told party supporters during his hour and half speech.
“We have a compelling narrative and a set of plans,” he said, adding the leader of the main opposition on New Democratic Party (NDP) Arnhim Eustace when in response to a question asked in New York about the NDP plans for the development of the country over the next 15 years, replied, “Ask Ralph”.
Gonsalves said the ULP’s plan is contained in the island’s National Economic and Social Development Plan: 2015 to 2025 that his government published two years ago.
Gonsalves said the second reason is his government’s achievement, which he described as “extraordinary” and the third being the current work that the party is doing while plans for the future have been identified as the fourth.
“And these plans for the future include reaffirming our faith in Almighty God and coupling faith with reason for our plans for the future.
Gonsalves listed as the ULP candidates as the fifth reason with leadership as the sixth.
On the topic of leadership, Gonsalves said he is the only politician in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who has contested every election since Independence in 1979, adding that October 16 will mark his 47th year as a political activist.
“Like Daniel, I have been trained in the language and the literature of the world and I have been trained in economics, and government, and philosophy and administration and law and literature.
“And I have been reading a lot of theology to overs (understand), more and more, the words of Almighty God.
“I am not claiming that because I have been trained in any specific area that you must elect me as prime minister again. I am saying that I have a trained mind in which I marry faith and reason and I analyse things in a scientific manner, taking account of all the facts and circumstances and take advise where necessary and advice from experts and apply my heart to reason and come to conclusions, linking reason and faith.”
Gonsalves said love was the seventh reason why his government should be re-elected.
“I am giving you the seven reasons. You can turn left, right, upside, down. Those are the reasons. They are cogent, and that is why I come to you and tell you to give us another five years.”
Gonsalves noted that in the 2010 election, the electorate gave him eight of the 15 parliamentary seats adding that the NDP, which holds the remaining seven seats, could not wrestle any of those eight from the ULP.
“They lock up like the rock of Gibraltar. So the question is not whether we going be in government. But hear me now, over the last five years, because there were just eight, yo’ put extra strain on me.
“I want for the next five years for you to give me more soldiers, comrades at arms, to carry the weight and to prepare the transition,” said Gonsalves, who has said he will hand over leadership of the party at the end of the next electoral cycle.
