KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) would open its own radio and television station if it had the money, party secretary general Allan Cruickshank said on Sunday.
Cruickshank’s statement at the NDP’s 36th convention came even as party president Arnhim Eustace appealed to members to pay their subscription.
“If it was possible and we had the funds … we might have opened a radio station, a TV station, and more things,” Cruickshank said in giving a report on the NDP’s activities over the past year.
“We have the building for that, but we don’t have the money,” he said at the party’s headquarters, Democrat House.
He former minister of government said that some NDP supporters are concerned because they are not able to hear the party’s daytime programme.
“We do not have the funds to really do these things,” Cruickshank said of the NDP’s aspirations.
“We hope that someone will smile upon us one of these days and give us exactly what we need to run these programmes. But notwithstanding, we will continue to try very hard to keep you informed in what we are doing,” he said.
Meanwhile, Eustace, speaking at the same convention, said that the NDP had many activities in the past year.
“But there is always complaints from our members, [that] ‘you need to do more’,” Eustace said.
“You have protests, you have meetings, you have social events and so on, you have all of that going on all the time. But, at the same time, I ain’t see the contribution to the party groups,” he said.
He said that many NDP members are not giving their EC$5-month contribution.
“How are you going to finance activities of the party when our own membership is not making any contributions?” Eustace said.
“I know things are hard; but I believe you waste more than 16 cents a day and an effort has to be made by the various constituencies to pay their dues,” he further stated.
“It is true that we raise money from time to time from donors but the reality is that we, in this party, must also show some self-sacrifice. And to the extent that that is done, we, as a party, will be better off and achieve the goals that we have set ourselves. There is not much you can do in the political realm today without some money,” said Eustace who has led the NDP since 2000.