NDP candidate for North Leeward Kishore Shallow says St. Vincent and the Grenadines is lagging as much as three decades behind its neighbours in terms of its economic development.
He told Hot 97 FM that it is time for the Unity Labour Party, which came to office in March 2001, to demit office.
“It is not to say that they haven’t done anything over the two decades that they have been there,” Shallow said.
He said anyone who says that the ULP administration has not accomplished anything since coming to office is “disingenuous and not paying attention really”.
“But the reality is, if you even compare us to our neighbouring islands, and you look at the pace of how some of them are accelerating relative to us, Grenada, St. Lucia, we don’t even need to go any further, because you might just embarrass yourself,” Shallow said.
“But we have not accelerated at the pace at which we should be accelerating. In fact, some would say we are stagnant or even going backwards.”
Asked how far behind St. Lucia he thinks SVG is, Shallow said “at least 30 years”.
The Cricket West Indies President who is entering electoral politics for the first time, said a friend who is not living in SVG but has visited many times, told him recently that St. Vincent is currently where St. Lucia was “30, 40, years ago”.
“And this was a conversation I had about a week and a half ago,” Shallow said on Tuesday, adding, “And it is the harsh reality.
“When you look at our potential, natural resources versus a St. Lucia, who has been capitalising on tourism for the last couple decades, we can’t even say that we have a well-packaged tourism product up to this point.”
Shallow said there are many untapped opportunities for SVG.
“St Vincent is ripe for development, I believe, because of the fact that we are so far behind in some areas.”
He said he would go on record and say that he believes that the Argyle International Airport is a success and “that we needed that airport.
“I am proud to say we have an international airport,” Shallow said, adding that there are other accomplishments of the ULP administration.
“But if you’re practical, if you’re paying attention to the rest of the world, our neighbouring island and so on, you would say that we should have been far ahead,” Shallow said.
He said Vincentians are at the point where they know better.
“They’re demanding better. They’re demanding more. They’re saying …, ‘Thanks for your contributions, thanks for your commitment and sacrifices to the ULP administration, but we demand more now. And we are at a point where we need to be accelerating, that we need to catch up with our neighbours.’”
Shallow said he thinks this would be “a fair conclusion, by any Vincentian.
“… there some, they may not be in a position like I am and my colleagues on the NDP side who have been championing this cause for a long time, but they feel this way.”
Shallow was speaking one week after he defeated two other people in a primary and was announced as the NDP’s candidate for North Leeward in the next general election, expected by November 2025, ahead of the February 2026 constitutional deadline.
He said that in the week since his candidacy was announced he received calls from people who supported the ULP up to the November 2020 general elections.
“And who was saying that my friend, you don’t even know the joy in me, because I may not be able, like you, to come out and speak publicly to demand change or to support change, but I’m glad that you have the courage and you’re making this sacrifice and commitment to change in this country,” Shallow said.
“And I’ll tell you, by and large, … those are the sentiments from Vincentians right now.”
Finally someone who speaks the truth. It is a shame the way we are far behind our sister islands. How our youth are leaving for greener pastures. How the best real estate in the land is being squandered among other things by the reckless ULP. I fully support a change in regime, for the good of the country. Time for a change. Time for the ULP to go.
Don’t talk about at least 50 years behind Barbados or Trinidad. We are the cavemen in this modern day. Thank you mr Shallow, Thank you for daring to speak the truth.
Samo the ULP has no where to go other than six in a row.
Was there an international airport In SVG 30 years ago?
Dr Shallow, really. To say that SVG is “lagging as much as three decades behind its neighbours in terms of its economic development, is to make a very foolish statement. whatever one thinks of either Party. The statement could only come from someone who is being disingenuous and not paying attention really”.
Gus,was there a Community College in SVG 50 years ago?
Sandra, sad you think that.
You sound like a colonizer
My brother, when God seals His stamp of approval over you, it does not matter who like it or not. Your destiny is all – ready signed, sealed and will be delivered on time. 🙏 It’s Jesus who commands your destiny.
Sandra, are u ah parliament g rl?? Just curious.
We will start with making North Leeward productive and self sufficient again. Introducing small processing units driven by renewable energy will be a start.