By Jayjay Myers
Vincentians have to be a special kind of stupid. Or, the ULP is a magnificent political outfit. How else could one explain the party’s 19-plus-year tenure in office? This administration has racked up so many failures it is difficult to keep track.
As the party gears up for the 2020 elections, I list here 20 of its failures off the top of my head in no particular order. Here goes:
- Failure to enact integrity legislation as promised;
- Failure to tackle official corruption and illicit enrichment;
- Failure to bring crime under control;
- Failure to engender buoyancy in the economy;
- Failure to adequately maintain village roads across the country;
- Failure to complete the cross country road;
- Failure to revive the banana industry;
- Failure to transform the fishing industry;
- Failure to significantly improve the health service;
- Failure to transform the education system in revolutionary terms;
- Failure to significantly improve the police service;
- Failure to enhance the aesthetics of capital city Kingstown;
- Failure to end political victimisation;
- Failure to engender national unity and social cohesion;
- Failure to effectively address the culture of rape and domestic abuse;
- Failure to prevent the unscrupulous foreign investors like Ames;
- Failure to adequately maintain government buildings;
- Failure to improve the fortunes of LIAT despite pumping funds into it;
- Failure to construct a proper indoor sporting facility for our youths;
- Failure to create a culture of good governance and political hygiene;
The above are but a few of the magnificent failures of Ralph Gonsalves and his ULP. Despite these failures, this party could well be headed for success at the polls (even if they have to cheat again) in 2020. I am doubtful, though, that Vincentians would allow this political plague to cover the country again!
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How about failure to pay Mr Tousaint, Mr De Freitus, failure to pay the 60 land owners at Argyle, failure to pay the teachers for wrongful dismissal, failure to charge the correct price at the petrol pumps for 18 years, failure to charge the proper price for cooking gas, failure to create employment in large enough numbers, failure of the PM to continuously tell the truth, failure of Dr Gonsalves to be brought before any court to answer sex crime allegations.
There are so many failures it would take many more pages than are published here.
The greatest failure of the ULP is most likely its inability to create and maintain an economic environment to transform education into private entrepreneurial activities. The lack of initiatives to encourage and support private domestic investments (outside of the Francis/Gonsalves family and political sychopants) is a glaring stain on the legacy of the ULP.
How log must my people wait for positive developmental (broad economic advancement) change in Hairouna?
There are hundreds, 20 is only the tip of the iceberg