President of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), Arnhim Eustace, says he will allow delegates at the party’s next convention to decide whether he continues as party leader.
The 72-year-old politician has been leading the NDP since October 2000, when he took over from party founder and former prime minister, Sir James Mitchell.
Eustace has been at the helm of the NDP during four successive election defeats, the most recent of which (December 2015) the NDP says was a victory stolen from the party by the ruling Unity Labour Party.
The NDP did not have a national convention last year because of the general elections, but has decided to have a convention this year.
Party members and supporters and the public at large are looking forward to the NDP’s convention, especially since some commentators and party supporters say that Eustace cannot reasonably expect to continue to lead the party.
But, asked on Thursday whether he will put himself up for another term as NDP president at the convention, Eustace told iWitness News that he will allow delegates to make that decision.
Asked if he already has a position and whether he will give way to someone else even if he is nominated at the convention, Eustace reverted to his earlier response.
“I still say the same thing,” Eustace, who has been representing East Kingstown since 1998, told iWitness News.
“If they say, ‘Eustace go’, ah gone,” he told iWitness News, adding that if party supporters say stay, he will do just that.
Eustace’s comments come as the party say they are preparing for fresh elections this year.
MP for Central Kingstown, St. Clair Leacock, an NDP vice-president, said on radio this week that he believes that the ULP will call a fresh election before the end of 2016.
Leacock said he does not believe that that Ralph Gonsalves ULP administration is comfortable with the one-seat majority it maintained at the Dec. 9, 2015 polls.
The ULP won eight of the 15 parliamentary seats while the remaining seven went to the NDP, a carbon copy of the December 2010 results.
However, the ULP also reversed a movement away from the party and increased its number of popular votes for the first time since coming to office in March 2001.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has told ULP supporters that he was tempted to call fresh elections in February because of the NDP’s protest of the December election results.
Eustace told iWitness News on Thursday that he believes that Vincentians would return to the polls less than one year after the last vote.
“That’s what we are working on: to get back to the polls. That’s our objective. That is what the boycott is about and everything we’ve been doing. That’s what the protest outside the electoral Office is about.”
The NDP has been boycotting Parliament, attending only three sittings since the new legislature was sworn in on Dec. 29.
But with just four months left in the year, how prepared is the NDP for a general election if one were in fact called?
“Well, we have been doing our work. There are certain things that we are changing and we will change some candidates and that process is on-going. We are making some changes. We have had our own retreat, reviewed the situation and established certain committees to report on certain areas. Those reports are now in and we are going to be going through those reports in the next few days. Actually, I have them right in front of me,” Eustace told iWitness News.
He, however, declined to name the candidates that the party will replace.
This man has no shame even to mention standing again. Still, this may be the best person this poor excuse for a political party may have. If so, get ready for five in a row.
C-Ben,
I don’t always agree with you, but today is your day you are spot on.
That LAZY FOOL is a joke.
I saw that man on TV. a few week ago, the man guts hanging out his pans, shirt hanging one side,his pants was half way up his shin, and his socks was hanging on to a old shoes, he man looked like ” rubber dub, dub “
Time to run that NO GOOD LAZY ASS Eustace out of town for good.
When the time comes and it will , I’ll open my $150.00 us. dollars Scotch called Lagavulin and drink to the fact that useless fool is no longer haunting this society.
Perhaps then this Kenton chance will see the light, to get something right.
I only have one thing to say. Wait eh? Hahahahahahahahahahaha-hehehehehehehehehe. Me belly ah busss
Hopefully the outcome of the appeal case on the 24th September will be favourable,the election petitions can go forward,and Vincentians will get all the evidence as the case is made in court..if it turns out the ULP didn’t win then so be it,or if it turns out The NDP lost so be it,in either case the country has to move forward
Just the evidence that has already been released to the public would be enough to cause a re-election in any other country in the world (except the USA). It seems either cheating on elections or conducting them in a sloppy manner is now accepted behavior in the world.
Lost pet. shut up.
It would be sad to see Eustace go. He is a man of high integrity. Much higher than his opponent in the ULP, who has promised great roads, lots of jobs and to beautify Kingstown, but instead gave us the opposite. Eustace would be the PM right now if the election were conducted properly. Instead we are left with Dr. Salt and more borrowing and taxation leading to more poverty.
It will be a happy day for Vincentian to see that LAZY FOOL get out of the life and the way, to let the party, and this country breath.
I hope that he will takes you with him, a blight on this country.
Dr. Salt as you say is shit***ing high, and you are shit**ing low , go figure that, may be that LAZY Eustace can give you some of that money.
Eustace fate has already been decided, ” bye ,bye birdie “.
It would be unwise for NDP to change leadership at this point. This what the ULP is hoping. Keep the party as it is and continue to focus on the issues that affecting the country.
If a political party fail to get into power 4 times with the same leadership – that’s 3 times too many to keep trying in my opinion. Do you think that anywhere in the world a PM candidate would still be hanging in there after 4 attempts? Really…
You wish to let the party vote on should you stay…. Haven’t the voters already given you a big hint?
Its not the leadership of the ULP that has kept them in power, its the LACK of any credible opposition to take over that’s kept the NDP out.
In my opinion your response to the reporters “Ask Ralf” was the end of your political career and you should have resigned immediately after that.