Former West St. George MP under the Unity Labour Party (ULP), Mike Browne, says he will not cast a ballot in the Nov. 27 general election.
Browne said that he anticipates that Vincentians will face a lot of pressure regardless of the outcome of the polls, adding that he is part of a group that intends to champion the rights of the people going forward.
The former minister of education, who represented West St. George from 2001 to 2010, announced his position at the Teachers’ Solidarity Week Rally in Kingstown on Friday, adding that he will detail it in a letter in the newspaper next week.
The annual rally commemorates the 1975 teargassing of teachers under the then Milton Cato-led St. Vincent Labour Party government as they marched through Kingstown, highlighting issues affecting the profession.
“We are in the midst of the election season. I am putting a letter in the newspaper next week where I outline why I will not vote in this election, and the reason will be outlined in the letter where I point out the two parties have the working people divided,” Brown said.
Browne also raised the issue of election financing.
“When I ran in 2001, 2005, to run an election, 10 million,15 million, I can’t tell you exactly because we never know how much the party leader and the top leadership was collected and from when.”
He, however, said it would cost “10s of millions of dollars — serious money” to run the election campaign over the next two weeks.
“And the question I pose to you in closing — and I want you to read the editorial The Vincentian, it deals with this question — is, where is this money coming from?”
Browne said the editorial alluded to all kinds of sources, saying it could even be drug money.
“The ordinary people cannot finance these elections. The workers who catching they tail to buy food — and these days, if you get sick, that could be a death sentence in St. Vincent. So, the working people under pressure, financially.
“Them can’t find them tens of millions of dollars. So who financing them?” the former MP said, adding that this is a question that voters have to ponder on.
“And having pondered on it, you have to make a decision whether you’re going out. I decide I ain’t going out. I always voted for the Unity Labour Party because the difference between me and the NDP was really too wide. But I can’t do it this year,” Browne said.
“I’m concerned about moving forward after the elections. I, frankly, do not care what the results are. And moving forward, we have an organisation… Solidarity Rights, where we intend to champion the rights of all our people going forward because we expect pressure, regardless of which the party wins. They will give you benefits, but you will also get pressure,” Browne said.
Do you know how hard it was to attain universal adult suffrage? It’s rhetorical!!! I don’t need a response.
Mike, why are you trying to influence people not to vote? Are you now realizing that workers are “catching they tail “? How do you know, that regardless to which party forms Gov’t, workers will get pressure? Where were you and your Solidarity Rights group for the last 5/10 years?
NDP guarantees NO discrimination, NO segregation, NO persecution…..ALL HANDS ON DECK as TOGETHER WE WIN!
Too bad former educator Mike Browne has never spoken out about the poor quality of education in country from pre-school to college, a deterioration that began in the 1960s with a push for universal secondary education for all, regardless of their abilities or love of learning.
Great my friend! I often wonder why you left out or were pushed out of the ULP. I realize that Ralph hate to have other talented people in his party. He hates competition. That was why he got rid of the lady who is a lawyer because he feared she was too close to replace him.
That money is probably coming from The Middle East – his Arab buddies.
People like this is the problem. It’s his free will to not vote BUT I hope he shuts his mouth for the next 5 years SMDH!
HE SHOULD HAVE NO SAY ABOUT THE COUNTRY OR ITS AFFAIRS FOR THE PERIOD HE DIDN’T VOTE!
Mike Browne it’s very strange that you are addressing issues such as these. Even in your time money was spending. You seems as though that you an NDP operative trying to influence voters
He is signalling his readiness to negotiate. In other words, show me your hand, Comrade, is what yo’ saying….
Old dogs on that team have no new tricks. No courage. What a shame! If these sorts and conditions of men are the stars by which SVG is being steered, heaven help us.
Of course it’s every one’s choice to vote or not to vote. But if voting is the system by which government is elected. What are we saying when we choose not to vote? The strongest ones rule or those with the most money? Adult suffrage was bought with too high s price for us not to vote