By Kenton X. Chance
Vincentians will elect a new government in a general election on Nov. 27, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced a short moment ago, during the Unity Labour Party’s “Labour Strong Rally”, at Richmond Hill.
The 15-seat Parliament was dissolved immediately on Tuesday, Oct. 28, and Nomination Day is Nov. 10.
“It is now decision time for our free and democratic people in free and fair elections for you to choose between the ULP and the NDP,” Gonsalves said.
It will be the second time that Vincentians will vote in a November general election since universal adult suffrage in 1951.
The Nov. 27 election means that the ULP will remain in office for three weeks beyond the five-year term, although the Constitution allows the government to stay in office until February 2026, before it must call a general election.
It is the third time that Gonsalves is announcing an election date at the Richmond Hill Playing Field, having done so in 2005 and 2015.
Gonsalves, who first led the ULP to victory on March 28, 2001, has held general elections on Dec. 7, 2005; Dec. 13, 2010; Dec. 9, 2015; and Nov. 5, 2020.
This is only the second time that Gonsalves is going beyond the five-year term, having served five years and a week before the 2010 election.
In that vote, the ULP lost four seats but retained office by an 8-7 margin, which was repeated in 2015.
The ULP won an historic fifth consecutive five-year term by a 9-6 margin in 2020, when the party won North Leeward by one vote after a contentious recount.
However, in 2020, the party also lost the popular vote for the first time since 1998.
“And the NDP, you’re listening to me: Hear me well. as a boy from country, I tell you, it’s ain’t long rope that does heng (hang) cattle; is short rope, and the rope is getting shorter and shorter,” Gonsalves said in his speech
He was using an expression referring to an animal strangling itself because of a short tethering rope, an analogy he has used every election cycle.
The ULP continues to pin its hopes on the 79-year-old leader even as Opposition Leader, Godwin Friday, 66, of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), who has been representing the Northern Grenadines since 2001, makes his second bid to become prime minister.
In 2020, Friday failed in his first attempt to lead the NDP to victory, almost four years after taking over the reins of the party.
Winning the popular vote was the brightest spot for the NDP in that electoral outing, even as the margins of victory in some traditional ULP stronghold fell markedly.
The election announcement comes one day after Gonsalves made 14 announcements in his speech to mark the 46th anniversary of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ independence from Britain.
The announcements include increasing from EC$280 and EC$300 to EC$360 the Public Assistance payout that 4,646 people receive monthly. The increase will be backdated to September.
On October 1, Opposition leader Godwin Friday announced that an NDP government would “double” the Public Assistance payout to EC$500 a month.
Also on Monday, the prime minister announced the removal of VAT from eight items, even as the NDP had promised since 2020 to reduce it from 16 to 13% across the board.
The NDP has said that it will implement a citizenship by investment (CBI) programme to help make up any shortfall in revenue sources and will focus on agriculture, tourism, the blue economy (fisheries, etc) and the new economy as the pillars of the economy.
The ULP administration is opposed to CBI.
Gonsalves said Monday night that cutting VAT on the eight items will cost the Treasury about EC$8 million annually.
“… but because of the continued expected economic growth in the country, it will cushion. So, we would lose that on the swings, but because of the growth, we will be able to collect on other things, not just in relation to taxes at the port, other sets of different taxes,” he said.
‘a first world country of a special type’ in 15 years
With the election date now declared, the campaign has officially begun, even as both political parties have been having rallies and various other campaign events for more than a year.
Unlike in the previous election, when the ULP promised a mega project, the party is asking for another term in office, even as Gonsalves promises something intangible: “first world status” of a special kind within 15 years.
On Saturday, the government opened a new port in Kingstown, for which EC$720 million had been budgeted.
Former project coordinator and assistant project manager for the Port Modernisation Project, Lenski Douglas, said at the opening ceremony, “… when all is accounted for, by every indication, the total amount spent to date is tracking very close to the original EC$650 million…
“The point there is government actually saved while implementing the Port Modernisation Project.”
Gonsalves’ Independence Address, which ranged from statesmanlike to partisan, concluded “on a personal note”, with him noting that he has been prime minister for almost 25 years, more than half of the 46 years since independence.
He told the crowd at Arnos Vale Sports Complex and media audiences that he has always sought to do his best for SVG and the Caribbean “in love, solidarity, and commitment.
“Together, we have made our mark with some mighty deeds; still, there is much more to be done as we go forth, without any doubt, to achieve even greater things, including making St. Vincent and the Grenadines a first-world nation by the year 2040, a mere 15 years away,” the prime minister said.
He said the country will succeed by “relying on the collective genius of our people, and a leadership that is skilled, activist, experienced and wise, and who knows and feels the pulse of our St. Vincent and the Grenadines!”
The prime minister used a phrase that he has repeated during the campaign, saying, “This is not a time for taking risks or chances with your future. The Lotto is available if you want to take a chance!”
NDP’s immediate focus on everyday issues
However, the NDP has said that if elected to office, its immediate focus would be on everyday matters affecting the lives of the people of SVG.
Friday has announced a four-point plan of action to be implemented within 60 days of an NDP government.
In addition to “doubling” Public Assistance and reducing VAT on everyday goods and residential electricity, the NDP has said it would pay public servants a bonus salary, and those fired under the COVID-19 vaccine mandate of 2021 will be reinstated.
The NDP held a Warm-Up Rally in London on Saturday, during which Friday urged voters to remember what things were like under the last five years of the ULP administration.
“We all know what is at stake, not just the next five years, but the generation to come,” he said, adding that as the country celebrated its anniversary of independence, “we must reflect seriously on our choices and make our decisions well-informed and looking out for the best for ourselves and for our children”.
The opposition leader said that the ULP administration does not care.
“For them, this is just a game that they will do anything to win. It is not, for them, a serious matter of meeting people’s needs and improving lives,” he said.
“Why would they care about bad roads when they can fix their cars and SUVs. Why would they care about the high cost of living when they have more than enough to live? Why would they care about the poor state of hospitals when they can travel abroad for treatment?”
He said who feels it knows it and the ULP does not feel it, so they do not know what needs to be fixed.
“They don’t know the things that need to be done. The ULP’s promises are just words that they say when it suits them, but they do not intend to keep their word. They did not before, and they will not in the future. They feel that this has worked for them and that it will work again.”
Friday said that the ULP is wrong in this thinking.
“The people say, enough is enough. It is time for us as a country to break with the past and move forward. One man cannot run the country forever. Those in government now are self-centred. They are tired. They are out of touch with the real needs of ordinary people, and when they call election, they too will be out of time.”
The opposition leader said the NDP wants to see a country where everyone has a chance for a good life.
“We want to see a country where everyone has an opportunity to work for a living. We want a country where there is more money in your pockets. We want a country where young people can aspire to achieve and know that with hard work, they can succeed.
“We want a country where government is the servant of the people, and not the other way around. We want a government that listens to the people, that works, that is worthy of your trust and your support. We want to have a country that values your hopes and ambitions, that values your aspirations and sets conditions in which they can flourish.”
He said Vincentians are tired of waiting for that future, adding that everyone in SVG will be better off under an NDP government.
“It is a promise that I will not break. Together, we will build an economy where farmers, fisherfolk, businesses, big and small, can thrive and create jobs for our people. Together, we will raise productivity so that we can raise wages and people can have better pay and look after their families,” Friday said.
Friday said that together with the people, an NDP government will deliver better main roads, village roads and farm roads.
“Together, we will invest in better playing fields and sporting facilities for the development of our young people. Together, we will ensure that we have a healthcare system that delivers for you and your families when you need it most,” Friday said.
“Together, we will provide more jobs and training opportunities for our young people. Together, we will work to ensure that everyone in our beautiful and blessed land is better off and together, we will make our communities safe again. My friends, when we do this all together, we win … and together we win the election, and together, as one people, we win the future of our nation,” the opposition leader said, echoing the NDP’s campaign slogan.