Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves says that the Cabinet sworn into office on Monday “shall govern with good sense and balance”.
“We are one nation, one people, with one destiny, under one god,” he said as he acknowledged that the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has not accepted the results of the Dec. 9 general elections, which officials say his Unity Labour Party (ULP) won, securing eight seats to the NDP’s seven.
“No one will suffer from this government any discrimination on the grounds of political affiliation or beliefs, race, sex, religion, or other basis as detailed in our nation’s constitution,” Gonsalves said at a ceremony at Heritage Square to swear in the Cabinet of Ministers.
“That is my solemn vow to each and everyone who is reached by my words. And, as always, I apply in practise every day, the dictum that the greatest exercise of power is the restraint in the use of that power.”
Gonsalves said this practice is not a recipe for indecisiveness nor an invitation to disregard lawful authority.
“On the contrary, it reflects a deep, mature understanding of human nature and our democratic institutions, which leads to wise judgement, firm, yet sensitive actions.”
Gonsalves said that these are challenging times, “occasioned fundamentally by external shocks of the global economic meltdown, unfair and unjust trading regimes, and multiple natural disasters due to climate change”.
The revolution in information communication technology has complicated matters for governance in small states while providing immense opportunities for empowerment and wealth creation, he said.
“Internally, home-grown criminality by some has added burdens to our society and economy in the context of the limitation which arises from the condition of being a small island developing state. Still, our possibilities and strengths, especially our people’s creativity, resilience and capacity for disciplined work prompt optimism for our future,” the Prime Minister said.
The Cabinet shows a mixture of experience and newcomers, including women, with two relatives of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves again being given ministerial appointments.
Wow! so how can we believe this when it has not been that policy for the last 15 years.
I suppose a sign of goodwill will be to immediately pay the 61 land owners at Argyle whose land has been stolen from them.
Pay the Kingstown traders the $40 million owed them.
Reinstate Bigger Biggs business to where it was before spite and hatred was applied to him.
Pay Marcos DeFreitas the money owed him for his Kingstown property.
Build a new hospital within the next three years.
Build a new cruise ship berth within the next three years.
Open Argyle airport and have 10 wide body jets arrive a day.
Have a new resort at Peters Hope up and running within the next three years.
Tell the people who owns the accounts in Switzerland as per the US government list.
Love it Peter, love it! way to tell it!!
Oh! I forgot the four lane tunnel under Cane Garden/Sion Hill and the new city on the Arnos Vale airport site.
Finish the Cross Country Road and the International Stadium at Diamond.
Peter; no one is claiming you can’t oppose the Government, but is people like you who are dividing this nation. Just for once, put your differences aside and try to use you intellectual support, with positive gesture to keep the government intact to fulfill their promises. The election campaigning is over, let the new cabinet members get on with the country business to develop a productive and proactive nation.
No its not the country is already divided long time by this regime and its nasty politics. They had 15 years to get it right but spent that time punishing people for supporting the opposition party.
As all those people who have been wronged, Bigger Biggs, the irrigation workers, the port police, Marcus DeFreitas, the teachers, the land owners at Argyle who have been robbed, will all tell you they want paying.
You see it’s all well and good saying you will not discriminate but discrimination has already taken place on a massive scale and those people need to be put back to the position that the should be in.
The future under this regime will only be a repeat of the past unless the wrongs of the past are recognized and corrected.
It has nothing whatsoever to do with campaigning its to do with correcting wrong.
The Church’s stood by and allowed this to happen in the past and they will do the same in the future because they are corrupted by the system.
What we have to look forward to is the expansion of a family dynasty that will become so interwoven they will never be able to be removed.
There are only three people in the cabinet who who count that is Ralph Gonsalves, Camillo Gonsalves and Julian Francis. With the ministries packed with Gonsalves and Francis family members in cushy top positions. Even Isis Gonsalves is now working in the FIU and reporting to Ralph on money laundering. All the other ministers are only packing the numbers and are puppets who can do nothing and say nothing without direct scripted permission fro the top.
So William G, talking about the wrongs and exposing the inner workings has to go on otherwise we will end up like Venezuela and we are rapidly becoming like them anyway.
Peter is right on the ball. You are a modern-day prophet. You (WilliamG) on the other hand is half right with your denial, the cabinet under the guidance of Ralph Gonsalves, you are appealing, will continue PRODUCTIVITY with discrimination, unemployment, continued stench in health care, infrastructure gone to the dogs, the rich get richer…and the masses bawling murderrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!