Eight months after becoming an election candidate, Hospital Administrator, Grace Walters, on Saturday, continued to introduce herself to voters, amidst apparent accusations that she had distanced herself from the people she now seeks to represent.
Walters is the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) candidate for North Windward and will make her first bid to retain the seat, which the party has held since 2001.
“Comrades all, I begin tonight with a little introduction,” she said as the ULP held its first major rally of the campaign season in Layou on Saturday.
“I do so at the behest of my comrades in North Windward who want to share with you a little bit about their candidate,” Walters said.
“They want you to know that their candidate is a product of Sandy Bay. They want you to know that your candidate was raised by the people of Sandy Bay. They want you to know that they chose my career, and they want you to know that they chose my career so I can serve them,” Walters said.
In February, after she was selected as the candidate, Walters also addressed the issue of her continued connection to North Windward.
She said it was no secret that she has been living in Kingstown for years, but said it was not the first time she had lived where she worked.
On Saturday, she told party supporters that her constituents reprimanded her when they thought I didn’t do well, and cherished and celebrated her success.
“The people of North Windward would like you to know that I have been with them. Don’t mind what other people say. I have been with them. I have cared for them in sickness. I’ve comforted them in rough times. I’ve created ways to engage the youth in North Windward.”
Walter has replaced Deputy Prime Minister Montgomery Daniel as the ULP’s North Windward candidate.
Daniel, who is also the minister of transport and works, is retiring from politics after 25 years as MP for North Windward.
Walters, who holds a doctorate in health care administration and management, will face off with the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) Shevern John, an educator and senator.
John is making her second bid to win the seat after falling short by 62 votes in 2020.
Walters said she has joined with the people of North Windward to develop programmes to address community challenges, including alcoholism and illicit drugs.
“I coordinated men’s programmes. I engaged young mothers, older adults, and they want you to know that I shared in the joy of childbirth, and I also cried with them during their times of sorrow,” she said.
“Comrades, North Winward wants you to know that Grace Walters has not just come on the scene,” she said, adding that her youth arm points this out all the time.
“Comrades, I stand before you tonight, not seeking fame or fortune. I stand before you because I have a desire, a desire to serve you, to continue service at another level.”
She said she was following in the footsteps of “great leadership”, “a champion of our indigenous heritage”, a reference to Daniel.
She said the retiring MP has “served the people with dignity, effectively implementing policies of this great party, and with the comrades of the Unity Labour Party, has actively contributed to the development and transformation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Walters said that because of the ULP, St. Vincent and the Grenadines is now a place where every child gets a chance at education at all levels.
She said the country is now connected to the rest of the world and can boast of an ever-growing tourism industry.
“Comrades, we have witnessed progress like never before, progress that is not centred on the centre of the country, but progress that is extended to every single constituency, including North Windward and Central Leeward,” she said.
“Comrades, we have witnessed the progress that has transformed the lives and living, progress that has taken place without the sale of passports. We have built a port and is building a new hospital, and we have not sold any citizenship.”
The government is slated to open on Oct. 24, an EC$700 million port financed largely by loans, as well as the US$78 million hospital in Arnos Vale, being built with a US$125 million loan from Taiwan.
Walters urged voters to focus on what the ULP has done and will continue to do for SVG.
“Let’s own our future. Let’s move forward with the Unity Labour Party,” she said.
“Get on board as we enhance our constituency in health care, starting with a new facility in Sandy Bay, that we continue to improve the housing and standard of living throughout the constituencies for our families, that we continue to create job opportunities through tourism and youth training,” Walters said.
“Join me as we reintroduce the irrigation and modern support in agriculture for our farmers.”
When the ULP came to office in March 2001, there was a functioning irrigation system in North Windward, but the government did not rehabilitate it after it was damaged by a natural hazard.
Walters said she will launch a mentorship programme and cultural and sporting programmes to engage and inspire the youth.
Her plans also include building an indigenous heritage centre “to preserve our culture and our identity, and establishing a system of transportation for ease of travel for our older adults…
“When I envision North Windward of tomorrow, I see a people who are healthy, enlightened, knowledgeable. I see a people who are proudly united, I see a constituency that continues to stand firm with the Unity Labour Party, the party that continues to put our interest to the forefront; a team that will never come to you and say that they salary not enough, a team that is led by a resilient leader who is not afraid to be graded,” Walters said.
The general election is widely expected by November, ahead of the February 2025 constitutional deadline.