By Young Law
Elections are upon us. Here are some problems with our main contenders: New Democratic Party and Unity Labour Party.
ULP
- Rampant victimisation: It is known. It is present. Let us not pretend otherwise.
- Decreased opportunity for youth: the rate of unemployment and disgruntlement amongst youth is at an all-time high.
- Blatant disregard for the law, processes, policies and procedures: it is known, evident and has become systematic, affecting the moral fabric of our society.
- Party favourites are the true economic beneficiaries and are the ones protected from sanctions.
NDP
- Constant Ralph-based focus or rhetoric: this ULP/Ralph hatred, although endorsed formally by the NDP, causes persons concern about what may happen if this hatred gets into power.
- Apparent lack of zeal/zest: evidenced in their failure to unequivocally win over the youth vote.
- Talks of China: an all-round bad idea that should be distanced from immediately. It is disingenuous to ignore this. One cannot consider alliances for the sake of being different from one’s opponent.
- Not having loud, clear messages: who can say what the message of the NDP really is?
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Ndp not focus enough to run the government. They will destroy what Ralph built and achieve through out the years of power. Life is hard everywhere. Its not saint vincent alone that is having rough time. All the small islands cany find jobs to help. But the island of saint vincent has come a long long way.
There is more to the NDP than you allow, Young Law. The case against the ULP is that the party has done just enough to keep the country in survival mode–fill dem belly when they hungry with any half-baked cake, especially when elections are looming.
Being in power for over 19 years, the ULP’s only real claim to fame is completion of the AIA. All others, including the “Education Revolution” are unfinished shams. The ULP is backwards leaning, possibly because it is drunk with power, has a paucity of developmental ideas, too conflicted, the PM is too full of himself–though sometimes cordial, vestiges of cronyism and one-party rule are present, inability to inspire private entrepreneurialism, a certain kind of laziness which results in unfinished projects, nearsightedness in orienting the nation towards a single enterprise economy, bastardization of legal policies, negligence in handling grants and aid from foreign countries–the EU banana stabilization funds, etc, etc.
On the other hand, the NDP is too focused on Banana for the wrong reasons. Agriculture has a huge role in SVG future. But it is not simply banana. There other crops that offer more potential for value-added employment and efficient utilization of our limited land. For example, there is a huge market for sorrel (hibiscus) and ginger based products internationally. This is associated with the medicinal use in diabetes and high blood pressure ailments. Another crop is Careilla which will grow year round in svg and can be used for food and homeopathic medicines.
Here is a gift to Friday: the Grenadines are not only good for tourism. The bigger businesses should come from the sea. Those are ship-building, and fish farming. Also, beware of Son Mitchell. Like the PM Mitchell is too self centered and power hungry. Need I say more.
Another thing, I applaud activities associated with building out our tourism plant–hotels. But a huge infrastructural effort is needed to build a barrier reef about 5-10 miles offshore to protect the airport, hotels, towns, and citizens from rising seas due to climate change. That project alone can create employment for hundreds of vincies for about 20 years. Pie-in-the-sky? No. Necessity dictates.
There is much more. But I have other priorities.
While this true..we have come a long way..its tomorrow we must be concerned about we must learn from our past performances take the lessons learned and apply it to the future..building requires progress we cannot stay in the same place and move forward at the same time.
Who will be the next leaders of tomorrow..if we live in the shadows of those in leadership now .are we leaders or followers?.we must foster strong competition and develope strong leadership going into tomorrow.
We dont need mudd slingers..just tearing down those that went before ..we must build and lead..this takes integrity and determination from both side at all times.we are a small nation with complex problems and we have to be creative and innovative in our home grown solutions . we cannot resign ourself to things tough everywhere yes it is but we must solve our own problems not always crying for help from other countries. Learn from them yes..but don’t bring them here to solve our problem.
I believe in my Vincy people and we are capable of solving our own problems..but we must first approach it collectively..not devided , polorize and confused.
Just keeping Kingstown clean is a challenge and thats the first thing visitors see ..it does not inspire confidence.
Pose the challenge to all high schoolers to come up with solutions am sure they can come up with a permanent solution..to this problem that will only get worst.
Will the recent experience of Ms Simone Murray, the manager of the McLean estate in Richmond Hill draw our attention to Cuba and Venezuela, and of a paradise lost? Do we in SVG wish to live in Venezuela, a nation that has the “Most Dangerous City on the Planet earth”? How do ordinary People live in such a ghastly non-democratic Communist country like that of Venezuela’s?
Further, we must be very mindful to remember that when President Maduro took over power there, standing very prominently in the front row and supporting him, was our very own Prime Minister, one Ralph Gonsalves, standing there congratulating his fellow grubby dictator! Birds of a feather shall we say?
Ralph Gonsalves over the years, have most clearly demonstrated to us here in SVG, just how undemocratic he himself is. https://www.iwnsvg.com/2020/08/17/pm-cites-bible-in-defence-of-communist-land-acquisition/ socialism or pseudo-communism sits well with all Marxist.
Therefore, should we in SVG be at all surprised, with Ralph Gonsalves’s late terrible treatment of Ms Murry or his gross lack of parliamentary accountability, when it comes to his dealing with us, the Vincentian people? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n7mK3dYOLw birds of a feather after all are known to flock together. Therefore, what a shame that so many Vincentians whose forebears were slaves are so grossly stupid and docile and are helping in leading the way back into slavery!
Communism as an ideology, though known to have never worked has a delightful appeal to the have-nots, Stalinists and rouges. Our nation’s poverty has taken us down that very sad road that has now saddled us with this man Ralph Gonsalves and his family. “Keep your dog hungry and it will always follow you” Saddam Hussain! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inebLA3HqPo and that this family knows full well. Keep Vincentians dependant on Government handouts and they will never ask why?
I think these person who place their comments didn’t think before they write there comments.