KINGSTOWN- Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has rejected a call by the leader of the main opposition National Democratic Party (NDP), Arnhim Eustace, to hold a joint press conference calling for peace amidst reports of election violence.
Gonsalves said that Eustace’s call “is the height of opportunism”, intended to make him look prime ministerial. “…you can’t ask me to appear at a press conference with you when up to now you have failed and or refused to denounce the acts of these NDP thugs in Chateaubelair in clear, unequivocal, unmistakable terms,” said Gonsalves, who is seeking to lead his Unity Labour Party (ULP) into a third consecutive victory at the polls on December 13.
There have been allegations from both sides regarding violence in the campaign and Eustace had earlier said Prime Minister Gonsalves had “abdicated his responsibility to our nation and our people”. “He has still not appealed for calm in the country as tensions continue to mount during this election period. Again I make an appeal for calm in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Eustace said.
“I also invite the Prime Minister to cross the party divide and join me on this matter. I invite the Prime Minister to make a joint statement with me at a joint press conference to appeal for a peaceful, free and fair election – for the sake of our country. I invite the Prime Minister to stand for peace and democracy in this country – which is right in the eyes of the people and in the eyes of God,” Eustace said. But Gonsalves said that he has “made specific condemnation of persons whom it is alleged on the NDP side got injured and I said that these incidents I deplore them”.
“I called repeatedly for peace and non-violence. These things are integral to the social democratic philosophy which forms the basis of our outlook — the ULP’s outlook. In fact, the social democratic philosophy is what is encapsulated in the preamble to the independence Constitution,” Gonsalves said.
He spoke of the incident at Chateaubelair “where three women supporting the Labour Party were beaten up by at least three thugs belonging to the NDP”. (CMC) “And I called on Mr. Eustace and the NDP to denounce this thuggery. They have yet to do so. All they are speaking about is generally we should avoid violence. And then he wants in response to what I said last night, he wants today for both of us to have a point press conference to denounce violence,” Gonsalves told supporters last Monday night.
The other political party in the race is the Green Party, but political observers say it poses no threat to the other two parties. (CMC)
