The incumbent Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) candidate for Central Kingstown, Marvin “Mega” Fraser, says the constituency is already feeling the “mega effect”, drawing the attention of even the incumbent.
Fraser, a first-time candidate, is trying to unseat St. Clair Leacock of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), who has been representing the district since 2010.
Fraser assumed the presidency of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) in August 2018, replacing Venold Coombs, who had to quit the post after being banned by FIFA, the world governing body for football.
He was booted out of office about 15 months later, losing the election to Carl Dickson.
Leacock served as SVGFF president on two separate occasions. Under his presidency, St Vincent and the Grenadines National Men’s Football Team defeated Jamaica in Jamaica, placed first in the Caribbean Football Union’s rankings and attained its highest ranking ever — 73rd.
“You see, I have an opponent who talks about what he did for football,” Fraser said at the ULP Strong Rally at Richmond Hill, where Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced a Nov. 27 general election.
Fraser said he started a football competition in Redemption Sharpes in August because residents of Redemption Sharpes, Kingstown Park, McKies Hill, and Green Hill “wanted to see some action in Redemption Sharpes”.
“The young people said to me, ‘Mega, do something for we like way you did over in Largo Height. Do something for we like way you did in Kingstown Park, bring some vibes, bring some mega energy in Redemption Sharpes again,” Fraser said.
He said he started a football competition that lasted for about eight weekends.
“And on the final of my competition, the big grand finale, lo and behold, my opponent even came out. He came out because it was so big and bad that he wanted to be a part of it,” Fraser said.
“Let me tell you something: that is the Mega effect. That is what Mega does do. We bring out the best in people, and we bring out the worst set of people when we come out,” Fraser said.
He said the ULP is bringing to Central Kingstown and everybody “all the mega vibes and the mega energy; we are bringing a movement of progress that even the opposition would want to be a part of in Central Kingstown”.
Fraser said he knows some constituents voted for the NDP in the past, adding, “and from your clear and open support, I can realise when I go through Central Kingstown that the NDP supporters are becoming fewer and fewer every day.
“I want to say to the remaining supporters of NDP in Central Kingstown, you know me, you can feel safe voting for me, and that time to vote for Marvin ‘Mega’ Fraser is now.
“I am your neighbour. I am your family member. I am your friend, I have been involved in your community, and I am committed to your development and enhancement,” Fraser said in the speech in which he outlined his links to Central Kingstown as well as his professional qualifications.
“My vision for Central Kingstown is clear, and so is the vision for the ULP. We have big plans for Central Kingstown, and if you have a parliamentarian representative that is concerned with your pocketbook and not his, we can get more things done together.”
The ULP, which has been in office since 2001, is seeking a sixth consecutive five-year term in office. The party held central Kingstown from 2001 to 2010, when Leacock was elected.
Fraser said the ULP would will provide “practical training and partnerships so that shops and services grow with the new economy.
“We will deliver better roads, drainage, transport and community fields and sporting facilities that you, the people of the communities, will be employed to maintain.”
He said the ULP administration will provide more scholarships, mentorships, and after-school sports programmes.
“We will keep our talent growing and export our talent abroad. We will finish the modern hospital at Arnos Vale and provide stronger clinics, mental health services, and we will demonstrate in Central Kingstown how we should treat and adore and love our seniors, our disabled and every single citizen of Central Kingstown.”
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been without a resident psychiatrist for years, with one who was retained from India quitting the job in September 2023, after just two months, describing the workload as “crazy”.
Fraser said it is time that the people of Central Kingstown realize that representation matters. Representation matters.
“The ULP will build over 3,000 homes, affordable homes across the country. And I’m telling you, the people of Central Kingstown, you will be right there with me to benefit from these homes, to benefit from lands that will be given by the ULP.”
Fraser said the ULP has “some solid plans” for our constituency that he would details another time.
“Comrades, this government has seen the challenges which affect our country and the constituency of Central Kingstown and Kingstown in general,” he said, adding that as a solution-oriented government, the party has found solutions.
“I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, when the ULP government made the assessments of the fundamental things, the fundamental problems that are bothering and hindering our country, nowhere on that list was parliamentarians’ salaries.”
He was echoing his party’s perversion of a statement that Leacock made in parliament, which Gonsalves agreed with, about the anomaly of some public servants having larger salaries than government ministers under whom they work.
“Parliamentarians’ salaries was not one of the fundamental things that when the ULP government checked around that was one of the big problems,” Fraser said.
“Who do you think will deliver for you, the people of Central Kingstown? And who will deliver for themselves? Those are the fundamental questions you have to ask yourself,” Fraser said.
“The ULP journey started with education. We moved at the airport. We are continuing to do great things for Central Kingstown … and we are doing all of that without selling any passports.”
The NDP has said that it will implement a citizenship by investment (CBI) programme, but the ULP has long opposed CBI, describing it as selling passports and discontinuing the programme that existed when it came to office in March 2001.