President of the main opposition New Democratic Party, Arnhim Eustace, has cited the party’s continued improvement at the polls since 2001 and says that the NDP will win the Dec. 9 general elections.
“While we are happy tonight, having good crowds at our meetings, there was a time when that wasn’t so,” Eustace told an NDP meeting in Central Kingstown Tuesday night.
“There was a time when people like Leacock and Friday and Terrance Ollivierre, John Horne and other, we couldn’t have a meeting like this, because nobody would come.
“And very often, we call meetings, both public and not so public and people wouldn’t come. The NDP was perceived to be dead. But, tonight, tonight, the NDP is seen to be very alive,” Eustace said.
In 2001, after 17 years in office, the NDP was voted out, losing those elections 3-12 to the Unity Labour Party.
Eustace, who became leader of the NDP in October 2000, after the tide turned against the party, noted that the NDP won the 1998 elections eight seats to seven but got 23,000 votes.
In that election, the ULP won the popular vote, securing … ballots
Eustace alluded to the political unrest of 2000, saying the last NDP administration was virtually forced out of office, returning to the polls in 2001.
“When we went to that election in 2001, NDP was at its weakest. We got 23,894 votes and the ULP got 32,000 votes. See the big difference?” he said.
In 2005, the NDP moved up a bit, to 25,700 votes and the ULP was still at 32,000, Eustace said.
“But in 2010, the NDP jumped from 25,000 to 30,000 in the election of 2010 and the ULP was still at 32,000,” Eustace told party supporters.
“So you can see in the 5-year period between 2005 and 2010 we increased our vote by over 5,000 persons more who voted the NDP at that time.
“If it is 5,000 last time, it is more than that this time. It is more than that this time and the New Democratic Party will win the 2015 election in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Eustace said.
“When you look at the trend of the voting, when you listen and see the crowds that attending NDP meetings, we know that we’re going to win, and the trend is upwards all the time and it will be over the border at this time and the New Democratic Party will form government in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Eustace said that the ULP seems to think that the only way they (the ULP) can win is to violate the law.
“To thief votes through registration processes that are illegal, to transfer persons who should not be transferred into East Kingstown and into East St. George and other areas in an effort to cheat and to thief,” Eustace said.
He told party supporters that it is the duty of the party to “stop that situation from developing any further.
“Registration is now over and we have to monitor very closely what is happening on the ground during this election period in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said.
“This week, I am going to announce some more names of people who are illegally registered in East Kingstown. And I am sending the warning not for the last time or the first time that we will deal with those persons who are illegally registered in the various consistencies in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Eustace said “the biggest threat” seems to be at East St. George and East Kingstown.
“And there is some threat in this constituency also,” he said in reference to Central Kingstown.
“I urge all of our supporters who live in specific areas in various constituencies to keep your eyes open. You know the people who normally live in your constituency and you must keep your eye open.”
He said he submitted to the Supervisor of Elections the names of persons he said were illegally registered in East Kingstown, but didn’t get “the courtesy of a reply from the elections chief.
“But when the subsequent list came out, I could see that some of the people were removed from the list. But there are more now. And a few days ago, I announced that over 16 Nigerians were registered in East Kingstown in one day.
“And then I heard a release from the Supervisor of Elections saying two there, two here, and one there and so on. All I am saying, … last week Monday, 16 Nigerians were registered to vote in East Kingstown.
“So, when she comes out with a figure of two or three, she knows that those 16 would not have been in the list yet, because the voter’s list, the final list would not have yet come out. So, when it comes out, is only three or four days before the election. Is then you will see them,” Eustace said.
Every election he cries that someone stealing the election. After election, he can’t bring a court matter. The idea here is to cry foul now so that when he loses, they won’t blame him for running a smear campaign that sees a negative effect. Poor Mr Eustace, he don’t know what else to do
I agree with you pardon; however, this Kenton or whoever prints this nonsense here is living in a dream world, and is going to cry long dry tiers for decades to come on December 10th.
Eustace is poised to go into retirement.
Show me facts and figures, and Kenton grow up and do your jobs, and stop writing he said she said like a darm Parrot, do you job and get the facts, and stop being a reporter, and be a journalist.