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NDP leader, Arnhim Eustace. (IWN file photo)
NDP leader, Arnhim Eustace. (IWN file photo)
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President of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Arnhim Eustace says that his party is “stunned by some of the irregularities discovered so far” after Wednesday’s general elections and has suggested that legal action would be taken on Monday.

Elections officials have declared the Ralph Gonsalves-led Unity Labour Party (ULP) as winners of the election.

They say the ULP won eight of the 15 seats at stake in the elections, with the remaining seven going to the NDP — a repeat of the 2010 elections result.

But the NDP is refusing to concede defeat, saying that it won the elections. In a statement on radio Friday night, Eustace said:

“Let it be known that the New Democratic Party declares victory in the 2015 general elections in spite of the declaration made by the ULP and the Supervisor of Elections.

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“The New Democratic Party, and the Vincentian people as a whole will not and cannot allow the will of the people of this great nation to be usurped.”

Eustace told listeners that the NDP’s candidates and legal advisors spent Friday discussing “our approach to this crisis.

“We are stunned by some of the irregularities discovered so far. These will soon be revealed to all,” Eustace said.

“As I speak on these issues, today’s work to prepare the people’s case continues unabated. Rest assured that we will exhaust any and all legal mean to ensure that our people are not disenfranchised, beginning on Monday.”

Eustace said the NDP is calling on “all right-thinking Vincentians and all our brothers and sisters throughout this region who value democracy to continue to stand firm and speak boldly in defence of the people’s sacred right to free and fair elections. Be not discouraged, my people. As a great man once said, ‘We know we will win as we are confident of the victory of good over evil.'”

Eustace was re-elected as MP for East Kingstown for a fifth consecutive term.

He said that with the “challenges facing our nation’s democracy over the last 48 hours” he has not had the opportunity to properly thank constituents for placing their confidence in him for the fifth consecutive time.

“I am both humbled and inspired by your love and loyalty and I will express my gratitude in person to you all in every area of the constituency very soon,” he said.

Gonsalves was sworn in as Prime Minister on Thursday, joining James Mitchell of the NDP as the two persons to be sworn into that office for four consecutive terms in SVG.

15 replies on “NDP ‘stunned by some of the irregularities discovered so far’ — Eustace”

  1. Jeannine James says:

    How can there be such precipitate action to swear in a government in the face of blatant irregularities that have been brought to the fore and which are evidenced by police intervention leading to arrests?

    What sort of decency and ethics informs such behaviour among decent people? The action of the PM is one thing but that he is supported in these ways is quite another. My heart goes to out to those electors who voted against the Ralph Gonsalves team. This is no way to validate the choice of citizens expect it is your intention to embrace the doctrine of the Cosa Nostra, Needless to say, if that is the sort of thing that ethical Vincentians want to uphold, it’s fine by me. I believe that something needs to be done. These events and the interworking of them are utterly disgraceful. There are many in SVG who ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves starting with the Supervisor of Elections.

    1. Of course you are sorry for those who voted against Ralph. It just happens that more voted FOR him. Deal with it. That’s the way democracy works. The majority wins. Duh!!!!!

      1. Shane, I want to hear you sing that same song the day after News years day and beyond. You all have been seeing Ralph true colours, well, it’s now you will be seeing his real true colours. I am real sorry for especially those who depend on farming to survive.

      2. the whole election was based on a series of fraudulent acts, from mass bribery to stuffing the voting boxes.

        Fortunately there is evidence and someone will be going to court. If that is they can get by the DPP, the Police, the judiciary and a whole bevvy of scum ULP lawyers.

      3. To Anita and Peter,

        The Ndp tells so many lies, it will be hard to believe anything they say.

        they say they win by 6 votes, yet their agents signed off on what was there. After the recount, it was declared that ULP won that seat so where was that 6 vote win that was recounted infront of ‘their’ lawyers? Even the NDP said nothing more after this about their 6 vote win in CLeeward. Instead they are talking about irregularities across all constituencies.

        I don’t expect you to see anything but gold when the NDP throws their rubbish in the gutters. But for me, looking at the results and utterances of people on each sides of the political spectrum cannot arrive to any other conclusion but to discern that the ULP received most votes and enough seats to be in power.

        Note this as well that Doggie, before the recount wanted a by-election and not a recount. Now if the NDP had won the election by 6 votes, the recount would have revealed that. If 314 votes win was signed off by even the ndp agents, then where did that 6 vote win come from? Would it miraculously appear overnight by some voodoo spell? Oh please! I’m sure those agents’ signature were there on papers signed the night previous.

        Can we really take the NDP serious? Listen if they want to win let them try again in 2020. People might have voted for a change if they had a leader who wasnt’ as dull as thie present gentleman.

        Sense mek before book. NDP’s math dont make sense.

  2. Ndp’s leader is not only weak but also in denial.

    Where’s the evidence, well, take it to court and get your ‘win’.

    Is he going to beg for a by-election for five years?

    Ndp, if you really want to win in 2020, you must get a better leader. He right now is a sore cry baby

  3. Mr. Eustace, you should know by now that you could never out-poll, out-talk, out-smart, out-trick, out-spend, out-beg, or out-borrow the Comrade.

    If he tief the election, he tief it in a way (perhaps using a combination of Obeah (necromancy), Christian prayer, and De Laurence High Science) that you will never be able to prove in court of law.

    I beg you and several of your colleagues to bow out of politics with grace and dignity and pass the baton on to a new generation of NDP stalwarts.

  4. Just for further and better information the Supervisor of Elections Sylvia Findlay is the mother-in-law of Hans King, Ralph Gonsalves press secretary and political adviser.

    1. Peter, nearly everyone in SVG is related to everyone else. There is saying that, “All Vincie suck from the same bubbie.”

  5. 1. If there was so much ballot stuffing as some people claim, why didn’t the ULP win the close seats of North Leeward and South Leeward by simply stuffing a few more ballot boxes?

    2. One constituency’s gain would be another’s loss if there was so much illegal transfer of voters from one area to another as the NDP claims. So why did the ULP still get such a bigger share of the overall national vote except for the fact that it had a more popular leader? Oh, I forgot, it was because of the stuffing of ballot boxes all across the land with thousands of false ballots.

    3. There has so far been no evidence given that the results in Central Leeward or elsewhere were in any way tampered with. The six vote win that the NDP has claimed is said to be based on a single poll, not the sum of all the polls in Central Leeward. Are they claiming vote rigging in every polling station under the watchful eyes of their own agents?

    So why hasn’t Mr. Eustace accepted the loss with grace and dignity and resigned his party leadership? Is it because:

    1. The party wants to keep the rank-and-file’s anger directed squarely at the ULP instead of at the failings of their own NDP?

    2. Mr. Eustace is hungry to retain the little power he has as opposition leader, at least until he securely replace himself with his own daughter?

    3. Their will be open infighting and recrimination within the NDP without the firm hand of Mr. Eustace.

    4. The NDP is determined to continue its 14-year-long campaign of negativity since this its only purpose.

      1. I am more than neutral. I am indifferent to and untouched by Vincie poli-tricks which makes me such a dangerous man for all four parties.

        Check out my criticism of the ULP and its brilliant but destructive leader, Ralph Gonsalves, for all the proof you will need.

        I am neither a “razor” or “confused” just someone who has the ability and resources to objectively assess our precious country and its wicked political system.

        Have a nice day, Anita.

      2. If mr. Ben says something you like, I’m sure you’ll be happy.

        Truth is, he is definitely not a supporter of Ralph. However it seems he is a critical thinker, and, on this occasion, I think he is looking for proof of what Eustace suggests. Like me he cannot see that proof

  6. I guess accepting defeat with grace and honor is a bit too much to ask. One would now expect the losing party to become introspective and examine why they are losing and have lost traction among the populous. Why the youth vote seemingly resides in the other party which doesn’t board well for the near term future of the NDP. Why the leader of the party in a white knuckled, neck and neck race in his own constituency. Why the so called NDP sponsored polls were so off base and therefore couldn’t aid in a proper strategy down the campaign stretch in a close election.

    But no, let’s gin up the base and claim election irregularities and malfeasants even as the OAS observer team which visited 74% of the polling stations during the election applaud SVG for the high degree of civic spirit exhibited. Don’t examine the root cause of defeat and ill-advised leadership in order to regroup for what will be a wide open election in the next four to five years. Don’t search for new leadership and direction. Hang on to the old guard that has lost 4 elections blaming the other guy and not owning up to what just occurred once again. The party leadership is in denial. It’s time for new leadership willing to wear big boy pants ready to solve big boy problems. You are looking at exactly why the NDP lost a “change” election in a “change” cycle year.

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