Leader of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) Arnhim Eustace today announced plans for a nationwide shutdown of St Vincent and the Grenadines tomorrow after the government announced plans to introduce legislation the NDP said infringes upon the rights of citizens.
“Our rights are important, rights go to peace they go to our freedom, they go to so much of our lives, we take them for granted and if we live in a society where they are removed, as you have in some areas of the Middle East…we don’t want that because in the end that carries you to where Egypt is today,” Eustace said.
Speaking on the party’s radio station, Eustace said that the Dr. Ralph Gonsalves government was setting the stage for a dictatorship by introducing the new pieces of legislation that would infringe upon the democratic rights of citizens.
Last month, the opposition staged a protest outside the Parliament building following the first and second reading of the Criminal Procedure Amendment Code Bill and the Representation of the People Amendment Bill.
The opposition contends that the government is pushing through the legislation that would prevent citizens from seeking to take legal action in private capacities unless they have the approval of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
In January, the DPP, Colin Williams, discontinued the private prosecution brought by three candidates for the NDP in relation to allegations of “character assassinations” during the election campaign in December. Eustace said that the Parliament was due to have met on Tuesday to debate the legislation, but he has since been informed that the session has been postponed to March 3.
He told listeners that the NDP has been trying to sensitise the public as to the seriousness of these bills and despite some initial opposition, citizens are coming to the realization that the bills will affect them in the future.
“If you allow your rights to be chipped away all the time there will come a time when you have none and you have complete dictatorship in this country. You have to put a stop to that early,” he said, adding that “there will be a time when it will be affecting all of us and you will end up with situations that you have in Egypt and those places where hundreds of people lose their lives because when they try to protest they are so much the regime has in its favour that people lose their lives.
“We got to protest each step that people make to take away your rights. It is not to say it doesn’t matter they will outvote you in the Parliament, that doesn’t matter, you must bring to people’s understanding what is happening to their rights,” he added. Eustace said that the government is introducing the legislation to “protect itself from prosecution” adding that the party will also be organizing a demonstration outside the Office of the Prime Minister tomorrow .
“So we are asking people to come out tomorrow and join us in that protest,” he said, adding that some organisations are now willing to be part of the protest action. “So tomorrow that is the line that the New Democratic Party and those other organisations and individuals who are in support of this protest, whether they are NDP or any other party. The focus will be outside the Office of the Prime Minister,” Eustace said, adding that he would also be delivering a television broadcast in support of the protest on tonight.