The ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) had Friday evening paid “almost half” of the over EC$100,000 owed in rent on its headquarters building since 2011.
Kay Bacchus-Browne, lawyer for the landlord, Lione Coombs, said that the party had requested one month to pay the remaining amount, but she was yet to receive that proposal in writing, as her client had requested.
The payment was made days after the party was asked to vacate the building located on Murray’s Road, just outside capital city, Kingstown.
The party received the order to vacate even as it prepares to celebrate today with a mass rally in Calliaqua the 14 anniversary of its election to office in March 28, 2001.
A notice to vacate the building in one month was sent to the party’s general secretary Julian Francis on Monday and a copy was sent to party leader, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
Reports say the ULP initially leased the building in 2007 for one year with the option to renew the lease. After the lease expired, the party began renting on a monthly basis but defaulted in payments for years.
Initial calculations had found that the party owed EC$96,000 in rent, but subsequent to that the amount owed was updated to over EC$100,000.
This is how they run the country.
This is election announcement year. If they couldn’t keep a lid on this, things have to be a lot, lot worse than they appear. A lot. A real lot.
This proves that things are rough in SVG. Even the government party can’t pay its bills.