ST. VINCENT:- Anesia Baptiste, the public servants who was suspended for making statements critical of the Dr. Ralph Gonsalves government, has published a book about socialism.
The 80-page publication is titled “Socialist Revolution-From Grenada to St. Vincent”.
“I wrote this book to put into context and on record what Vincentians had experienced in the last year and for a reminder of what we are fighting against today, with our current prime minister and his political party,” Baptiste, a national scholar, told BBC Caribbean.
“I want the people to be enlightened and to value their God-given rights and freedoms against any tyrannical forces under socialism or communism, today or in the years to come”, said hope to become the country’s first female prime minister.
The book outlines what the Baptiste says is an attempt by Gonsalves and his ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) to bring to St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) a socialist revolution similar to Maurice Bishop’s work in Grenada.
In 1979 Bishop’s party staged a revolution and deposed Prime Minister Eric Gairy and his Grenada United Labour Party, who was out of the country addressing the United Nations.
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Bishop subsequently suspended the Constitution and declared himself Prime Minister of Grenada. All political parties except for his New Jewel Movement (NJM) were banned, and no elections were held during Bishop’s rule. Without a constitution in place, the People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG) simply issued laws by decree.
Baptiste said that while in SVG there was no violent coup as was the case in Grenada, Gonsalves was employing the tactics of former socialists such as Antonio Gramsci and even ancient Roman General Fabius.
She said this involves the use of policy and legislation rather than violence to bring about a socialist revolution.
The book discusses issues relating to the Constitution Bill 2009, saying the proposed legislation had socialist/communist characteristics.
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It says that Vincentians rejected this attempt at a socialist revolution when 57 per cent of the electorate voted against the proposed changes to the nation’s Constitution in a referendum last November.
The book compares Gonsalves’ ideology to that of Maurice Bishop’s, speaking of their past associations, noting Gonsalves statement that he remains to do the work of Maurice Bishop.
The author posits that there was an intention to spread the socialist revolution from Grenada to other OECS Countries, noting that Gonsalves was recognised as one of the Marxist-Leninist believers in those times who could be depended on to advance the socialist agenda.
Baptiste spoke of the ungodly nature of the ideology of socialism, saying it stands apart from inalienable rights and freedoms.
The book outlines principles of good governance in keeping with respect for inalienable rights and freedoms.
Baptiste was in March suspended with half pay from her position as communication manager at the Ministry of Tourism.
She had joined the Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) in campaigning for a vote ‘No’ in the constitution referendum last November.