A Unity Labour Party senator said that while the party and its supporters celebrate 17 years of governance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, he is “concerned about the type of future we want for St. Vincent”.
“I am concerned about where do we go after 17 years and I am most certainly concerned after our political leader has determined he wants to hand over power to someone else in this country,” Carlos James told the ULP celebration rally in Calliaqua Sunday night.
The rally was held to mark the ULP’s 17th year in office, the actual date of which was March 28, 2018.
“Each and every one of you should be concerned as well because while we celebrate the gains, there is much work to do,” said James, who fell short by 12 votes in his first attempt to wrest North Leeward from the main opposition New Democratic Party’s Roland “Patel” Matthews in the 2015 vote.
“And I speak of the revolution that we have had in this country. Not a revolution with a militia, but a revolution that has liberated our people through the transformative social policies of the ULP government. We have seen a revolution in every aspect of governance that touches the life of every single quarter of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. But we cannot create room for complacency. The revolutionary struggle is not quite over,” James said.
James said that the “war” in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is “between good and evil; progress over backwardness; development against underdevelopment; the wicked and mind-bending practices of character assassinations and distortions of SCL, Henley & Partners and the NDP against the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the ULP government…”
He said that to tell the real story of the ULP is to tell the story of the struggle of Vincentians and “the great progress we have made under a progressive and forward thinking enterprise”.
The senator said that some citizens think the right to vote is not their concern.
“… but politics gives birth to policy, without the people and their ability to exercise their right to vote and to bring about change, there would be no Argyle International Airport, no reforms in education and health care, land distribution…” he said.
“So we are celebrating you, the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines who have achieved under this Unity Labour Party government, the successes of our programmes that have benefited you, the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. And you must understand and appreciate that.”
James said he has been pondering and asking the question, “What kind of country do we want after 17 years of ULP?”
He said there are those who do not understand or know what kind of country they want or what kind of legacy they want to leave for the next generation.
He said he was confident that the people of SVG and the people of Labour would ensure that any opposition, “whether the NDP or any opposition to come would remain right there in opposition and not in any type or fashion or form in forming government in St. Vincent and the Grenadines…
“I want us to imagine a future with hundreds of jobs, more and more jobs for Vincentians; those leaving school and other tertiary level institutions.
“I want you to imagine a future with every single child having the opportunity for universal access and primary education and spreading their wings to levels to which 17 or 20 years ago they could not dream or imagine that they would be.
“I want us to imagine a future, a future where there is a new city at Arnos Vale with shopping complexes, offices with multinational and international companies, a brand new cruise terminal in Kingstown, significant investments in agriculture and medicinal marijuana with increased exports to foreign markets through the Argyle International Airport.
“I want us to image a future, an environment for the business sector and micro enterprises to flourish, thousands more homes being built across the country for poor and working class Vincentians,” he said, telling party supporters that that future is happening now, before their very eyes.
“We are realising a dream in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a long-held dream of every farmer, every fisherfolk, every community leader and builder, that St. Vincent will be a better place for the ordinary citizen.
“That future is with the Unity Labour Party government. So, after 17 years, let us not get excited and celebrate. Let us remember that the revolution continues, the hard work of you the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines continues, the hard work of the Labour Party continues, because we have to build this country and prepare St. Vincent for a safer and better place for our future generations,” he said.
The word imagine is used quite a lot to describe the future of St.Vincent.
Stagnant water harbors mosquitoes…The stream that runs from great sources will never run dry! Ask yourself the question: Do you see this government and NDP as trusted source that can support the ‘stream’ of aspirations of SVG? People,it is time to claim your future,and it is not coming from this current government,nor the NDP!
What other option is there? Is there another political party ready to step up?
In all fairness, the PM, Mr. Gonsalves, deserves respect and recognition his work for the International airport. It is a benefit to all the peoples of SVG, a valuable asset. The ET Joshua Airport should be kept in use for domestic fights and service to our sister islands.
I disagree with the E.T Joshua Airport part… I think the construction of a new city will be of greater benefactor and asset to the country and citizens. Yes other islands have two or more airports but the mainland is small and is not generating enough productivity to feed two airports. Kingston is deplorable and small. No room for improvements except rehabilitate some old buildings. Commerce should be expanded island wide.
What revolutionary struggle is Carlos talking about?
We have been imagining for over a decade now. But we still have a stagnant economy along with very high youth unemployment and some of the lowest wages in the subregion. Add to that an unacceptably high gun-related crime rate and poor infrastructure. Time for these lazy politicians to get to work and stop imagining. We have people to feed!
When some of us belly and our bank accounts full, we can say anything. The hungry ones are the ones who suffers. Thank God, that everything is only for a time. Time turns the pages, until it will be no more. Only time. Look at the people that benefit most from the airport, are they the hungry ones that continues to beg and borrow? They can easily be bribed when the time comes, so keep them poor, and they will love you more.