While saying on Tuesday that many women do not want to get into electoral politics because of “the nastiness” in the arena, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves did not reprimand pro-Unity Labour Party activist, Frank Da Silva, for calling leader of the Democratic Republican Party, Anesia Baptiste “a stupid b*tch”.
In a call to the pro-ULP Shake UP radio programme on WE FM, Star FM and Garifuna Radio on Thursday, Da Silva criticised Baptiste for her objection to some elements of the Cybercrime Bill and her free speech activism.
He also suggested that she was not as intelligent as she appears.
In a conversation on Boom FM on Tuesday, programme host, Dwight “Bing” Joseph, noted that Da Silva had referred to Baptiste as “a stupid bitch” and asked if this is an example of bullying.
“And don’t say that you did not hear Frank Da Silva,” Joseph said in apparent anticipation of Gonsalves’ oft-repeated response about offensive statements made by members of his party or its activists.
“I did not hear him. I heard of it,” Gonsalves said.
“Let me tell you this: I am not going to put myself in the position of the Director of Public Prosecution. I have heard what Frank Da Silva said and I understand that he send out emails in advance to tell several persons this is what I’m going to say about Anesia Baptiste. This is what I’m going to say about her and see what her reaction would be because she claims that anybody can say anything about her and it doesn’t matter.
“And he went ahead and tried that as a test, as I understand it, and he himself in the programme, I’m told — I haven’t heard any of this; I can only go on what I’m told.”
Stephen Joachim, who co-hosts the programme said that what Da Silva did was not a test but was “stupid”.
“Now, the point is this. It may well be stupid, but is it criminal under–” Gonsalves said.
He was apparently going to say under the Cybercrime Bill, which was also part of Tuesday’s discussion.
Joachim said he was sent a Facebook post in which Baptiste had referred to Gonsalves as a “puny human being”.
“Stephen, Anesia would know that I’m not a puny human being,” Gonsalves said.
During the same programme, Gonsalves said Cabinet had confirmed Chief Education Officer Lou-Ann Gilchrist’s appointment as Kingstown’s envoy to Washington, DC.
It was, however, pointed out to him that while his government has appointed several women ambassadors, not many seem to want to enter politics.
“A lot of women don’t want to run because of the nastiness in politics. In fact, women don’t want their boyfriends or husbands to get involved in politics,” Gonsalves said.
Activist Frank Da Silva calls politician Anesia Baptiste ‘a stupid b*tch’ on radio
Oh my! The head of state is a mass of contradictions. He comes off like a whirling dervish.
I hear that the US Ambassador called our PM the “man of contradictions”. He has shown that to us very clearly. Note: Obama and Hillary are even worse. I guess that is just part of being a politician. 99% of them contradict themselves daily depending on who they are speaking to. Ralph promised thousands of jobs how many times now? This term he started talking of thousands of jobs back in early 2015. In February it will be two years.
If you use such language against his personal interests you will be sued, against his “enemies” you will be rewarded. The Opposition are apparently seen by Ralph as non-Vincentians, so it is allowed to insult them.
While Mr Da Silva wanted to prove a point, it was downright arrogant, disrespectful, and out of order. Suppose his little grandson comes home from school and say, “Grand-dad my teacher called me a stupid b**ch today”! His foot would be on fire, like Carnival!
While Mr Da Silva wanted to prove a point, it was downright arrogant, disrespectful, and out of order. Suppose his little grandson comes home from school and say, “Grand-dad my teacher called me a stupid b**ch today”! His feet would be on fire, like Carnival!
Ralph Gonsalves talks about the “nastiness” in politics. I wonder what politician is most responsible for causing SVG to be a “gutter” politicians paradise?…I wonder?
As far as Ralph is concerned the cybercrime bill doesn’t cover Frank and some of his arse-kissers.
I come to I-witness News Website to read “News”. I’m disappointed at times, like on this occasion that such a piece of ‘comess’ is what today’s journalists pass off as a News item. Where are SVG’s journalists?
Did any one expect him to say “now Frank it is not very nice calling Vincentian citizens nasty names”.
We must remember Gonsalves has spent years calling people nasty names I have a whole list of what he called citizens over the last 16 years. Like “worthless dirty dog” and such things.
So calling a lady a “bitch” is probably OK in the scheme of things. But it is not OK as far as I and many others are concerned. People that resort to name calling out of spite and malice, done to belittle and embarrass the recipients are in my mind dastardly cowards.
What a sad state of affairs to watch these bullying old hags so threatened by capable youthful intelligence; calling this woman a stupid b!t@h was just one part of it. The fact that he so comfortably repeatedly called her stupid (it’s obvious that she is not) is very alarming. This is not a democratic environment. Challenge anything and you’ll be lucky if a verbal beat-down is all you get.