Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has suggested that President of Cricket West Indies, Kishore Shallow has aligned himself with the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) because his “star” would not be as bright in the ruling Unity Labour Party.
Gonsalves commented on his weekly show on NBC Radio on Wednesday, less than 12 hours after the NDP’s North Leeward Constituency Division selected Shallow as their candidate in the next general election.
Shallow’s candidacy is expected to be ratified soon by the central executive of the NDP, as SVG prepares for general elections, widely expected by December 2025, ahead of the February 2026 constitutional deadline.
Gonsalves, reporting on his activities since he travelled to Guyana on the weekend, said he had “a string of things” between 8 and 10 on Wednesday after returning to Kingstown.
The prime minister said these included an appointment with Kishore Shallow who “wanted to see me to talk about something local and national.
“We had a very interesting conversation on national things and I may talk about some of those things sometime in the future,” the prime minister said.
He continued:
“Except to say this, and I wouldn’t say more than this: If a man considered himself a star and there is a firmament where there are lots of stars and one where there is darkness, perversely he gets attracted to that where there is darkness because his presumed star, he thinks, may shine.
“But if you come in a galaxy of stars, as in the ULP, if you think you are a bright star, your star will be dimmed in this galaxy of brightness. So — and more to be said at an appropriate time, but I mentioned that he dropped by to talk to me.”
Shallow is expected to face the ULP’s Carlos James, who won the North Leeward seat in 2020 — on the second attempt — by one vote after a contentious recount.
Shallow’s announced candidacy for the opposition has generated some discussion, especially since he is said to have rebuffed the ULP, who had courted him to become one of its candidates over a decade ago.
Gonsalves’ comments about the ULP being “firmament where there are lots of stars” comes even as he maintains that he will lead the party into the next general election, although he turned 78 in August.
The prime minister has said that he has “the youngest head” in his government which now includes four government senators and at least two MPs who are less than half his age.
“But I the man with the youngest head. … because God make me a rebel. And the older I get, the more rebellious I am, which always meaning new ideas, questioning things over and over again,” Gonsalves told a rally in April to celebrate the ULP’s 23rd anniversary in office.
Gonsalves told that same rally that he hopes to live to be 110 years old but the next general elections would be the last he would contest as leader of the ULP.
Gonsalves, who has been representing North Central Windward for 30 years, said that in representational politics, “once you give a commitment, you give it a commitment, basically, for life.
He had said he intends to remain an MP until 2030.
The ULP had been set to begin its leadership transition with the election of a new deputy leader at its convention in July 2022.
However, those plans were scrapped amidst an apparent failure to unite the party behind a deputy to replace North Windward MP Montgomery Daniel, who is in his 70s.
At that convention, as Gonsalves made his usual grand entrance, there were shouts of “Caesar! Caesar!” as some party supporter expressed their preference for Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar as the party’s next leader.
Shallow’s selection comes one month after a poll showed he had performed almost as well as Friday regarding who can do a better job as prime minister than 78-year-old Ralph Gonsalves.
At the same time, the ULP’s heir-apparent, Camillo Gonsalves performed relatively poorly and almost half as well as his main competitor within the ruling party, Sabato Caesar, 43.
Friday, 64, was the most preferred alternative to Gonsalves as prime minister, with 21% of respondents saying they think he could do a better job. Friday was followed by Shallow at 19%.
The Comrade is correct, the leadership of the ULP is crowned. Dr Shallow for practical purposes made a sensible and intuitive decision not to join the long queue for fear of being another Jomo Thomas which would have been his destiny. I can see Doctor Shallow assuming the leadership of the NDP within five years since the leadership of that entity has aged.
Doctor Shallow being youthful with energy will be a future Prime Minister due to the structure of our polical divide. The country political divide run right down the middle. There is for all intense and purposes, the political divide is such that the NDP will not warm the bench of the opposition forever. Even the Roman empire has had its day.
The Comrade boast that he will live until 110 is just being facetious. When last a man lived that long in St vincent? There is practically no evidence to support the Comrade ‘s assertion that he will be an MP until 2030. I wish him well and longevity.
The man is 78 years old, how can he say he has the youngest head? Just as I’ve been saying all along, the man says whatever comes into his 78 year old brain. If he had said he is the most radical marxist in his party, that would’ve been closer to the truth.
When yo can’t reach the star yo say it nar shine bright and wen yo cant eat the grapes yo say dem sour. Hypocrites.
Yes, so he must aligned himself with an accused ra##ist? he na ha the same feathers like ar yo.
Here comes the most everything leader, the first-among-equals in the region once more circumnavigating his native swamp. He is busy launching sly innuendo and suggesting insults and put-downs that we can use against each other.