Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad Bissessar, has rejected the claim by her Vincentian counterpart, Ralph Gonsalves, that her party’s financiers are involved in the upcoming election in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
“It is ironic that a man whose family obtained access to three luxury apartments in Trinidad — including one on a favourable rent-to-own basis — would seek to call others greedy. Ralph should account to the people of St Vincent for his 24 years in power and stop deflecting onto the UNC,” Persad Bissessar said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
“Further, he should identify the UNC persons he claims are in St Vincent, or stop gaslighting his citizens.”
Persad Bissessar’s statement came as she said members of the media had contacted her for a response to Gonsalves’ claims that operatives from her United National Congress (UNC) were involved in the Nov. 27 general election in SVG and were motivated by access to lands.
“I categorically refute and reject these allegations,” Persad Bissessar said.
Persad Bissessar noted the investigation in Trinidad and Tobago into three apartments that Gonsalves’ wife, Eloise Gonsalves, and their children Storm and Soleil Gonsalves bought and rented from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) in the twin-island republic.
“The investigations into Ralph’s family concerning the acquisition of three high-rise luxury apartments at Victoria Keyes have absolutely nothing to do with their general elections,” Persad Bissessar said.
She said she was informed that these investigations are intended to:
1. Determine whether any fraudulent declarations were made.
2. Verify the source of funds for the three acquisitions.
3. Identify how his daughter was able to obtain a favourable rent-to-own arrangement two days after the general election, before the new government was installed.”
Persad Bissessar further criticised the involvement of other CARICOM leaders in other countries’ elections, saying her party does not engage in the practice.
“Recently, I have observed other CARICOM Prime Ministers and their parties actively and overtly campaigning and interfering in general elections outside their own countries within the Caribbean. The UNC does not participate in that type of deplorable and disreputable conduct. The choice of a leader for St Vincent and the Grenadines is solely for the people of that country.
“If Caribbean Prime Ministers continue cavorting around the region and interfering in the affairs and elections of member states, it is only a matter of time before CARICOM implodes.”
Persad Bissessar’s comments are the latest salvo in an ongoing row between Kingstown and Port of Spain, which began on Nov. 11, with Anil Roberts, a junior minister of housing in Trinidad, questioning the manner in which the three members of Gonsalves’ family had been able to acquire houses from the state-owned HDC that were sold on the open market.
Gonsalves’ wife and the two children in question are also Trinidadians.
The controversy has broken out as Gonsalves is asking Vincentian voters to return his Unity Labour Party (ULP to power for a sixth consecutive term on Nov. 27.
On Sunday, he told party supporters in Colonarie, his home village, located in North Central Windward, which he had represented in Parliament since 1994, that there are some major differences between the ULP and the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP).
“First of all, the NDP is financed by a set of people from overseas. The latest set are the financiers from the ruling UNC party in Trinidad. They have on the ground now activists supporting the NDP and all their attempt to smear me and my family have been unsuccessful…”
He said that over the last five years, the Vincentian economy has been the fastest-growing in the Caribbean, after Guyana.
“And the UNC financiers know that the economy in Trinidad and Tobago is tanking, and they want to get some sweetheart deals.”
Gonsalves said the alleged UNC financiers wanted to get the land at the old port in Kingstown and also at the site of the decommissioned ET Joshua Airport in Arnos Vale, where he said there is 175 acres of land.
“And they want that land for a song, whereas we are on the way to build a modern city with wellness, health and wellness,” he said, noting that the government was building an EC$300 million hospital at the Arnos Vale site.
Gonsalves has repeated the claim about UNC financiers being in SVG at several campaign events since Sunday, telling one gathering:
“… I want to tell you, as I speak, operatives for the UNC in Trinidad have come here and they are here right now as I speak. Don’t be surprised if you see one or two foreign faces.”
Earlier this week, Roberts, speaking on his “Doubles & Coffee” blog, rejected Gonsalves’ assertion that UNC operatives were in SVG.
“UNC not helping nobody. Pay we we money, Ralph Gonsalves,” Roberts said, referring to the TT$1.m million for the rent-to-own apartment that the HDC leased to Gonsalves’ daughter on what Roberts said were favourable terms.
“Don’t go on a platform now and lie about my party, the United National Congress. We don’t get involved in a people sovereign nation election,” Roberts said.
On Thursday, a group from the Barbados Labour Party, a sister party of the ULP, arrived in SVG. Sources told iWitness News that they are in the country to assist the ULP with its electioneering, and six more BLP representatives were expected to arrive on Friday.
On Sunday, Ian Douglas of the Dominica Labour Party mounted the ULP’s campaign platform, urging voters to return the Gonsalves and the ULP to office.
On Nov. 5, Tevin Andrews, the Grenadian MP representing that country’s Grenadine islands, mounted the ULP’s platform and endorsed Chevonne Stewart, the ULP’s Southern Grenadines candidate, who is making her first bid to win the seat, which the ULP has never won in 36 years.
On Oct. 22, the prime ministers of Dominica and St. Lucia, Roosevelt Skerrit and Phillip J. Pierre, made a one-day official visit to SVG during which they toured the hospital under construction in Arnos Vale and the new EC$700 million port in Kingstown, which opened on Oct. 25.
During their visit, both leaders endorsed Gonsalves for a sixth term, although he opposes in SVG several of their key policies, including citizenship by investment — which Gonsalves has represented as inherently corrupt — and VAT-free shopping days.
Pierre is asking the St. Lucian electorate to make his government the first to be returned to office for a second consecutive term since 2006 as they cast their ballots on Dec. 1.
Gonsalves has said that he will travel to Castries after the vote in SVG to campaign for Pierre and his St. Lucia Labour Party.
Dear Your Honorable Dr. Ralph Gonsalves,
You have been the staple of leadership in the Caribbean for many years. You have done well for St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We the people are thankful for your commitment to country, and some would say, the people. We asked that you stop the nonsense. Stop the irrational behavior. Stop the craziness.
However, you have now reduced yourself to a “Little Boy” with your behavior. The Caribbean Community is deeply concern with your antics. We are now asking ourselves if this is the type of leader you have been all along.
Mr. Prime Minister, at this present moment, a vote for ULP is a vote for Maduro-Venezuela. A vote for the ULP is a vote against the Uniter State of America. If you care so deeply about your people, do what is right for the majority–the people. We welcome the US Marines to the Caribbean to help us combat narco trafficking and sex trafficking.
Dr. Gonsalves, you are being irrational. Do you want your family to vocation in Venezuela or the United States? Vincentians, wake up and stop the madness.
Out of concern for Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the people must send him home to rest up. Again, we must send Comrade Ralph home to rest up and spend time with his family. The nation shares this concern
NDP, this is not a free pass for you and your team. Go out and convince the people as to why they should vote for you. Go out and close the election.
PS: The people is SVG must decide if they stand with ULP–Venezuela or NDP–USA.
VOTE!!!! VOTE!!!! VOTE!!!! VOTE!!!! VOTE!!!! VOTE!!!!.
We have hope!!!!!!
It seems Ralph Gonsalves is growing more desperate by the day. Soon he will likely claim that Donald Trump and King Charles III are endorsing his bid to remain Prime Minister of SVG.
Don’t know why you all aiding and endorsing more cruelty , evil and wickedness on us ,. When people lands were taken away, was said we must suffer and dead, forced to take experimental jab, fired from our jobs loose house, get sick, died, roads, schools and other buildins rottening down, have to buy even paracetamol and cough mixture in the hospital , way aryo been? Like aryo wicked people only care about family and friends, while others suffer.
Way words come from , ah right day it belong 😢. only dem alone want fo get rich , richer, richest ,,,,, mo 💲💰 . 🏠🏠, 🚙 🚙 ,family, friends cohorts alone entitled, de others ‘n EXTREME poverty , voting pigs, suffer an dead , line up and beg beg.
Kettle ah tell pot e batty black. This family in Vincy is the epotome of greed. This man has gall.
So what so what if it were true isn’t he the one having his other crooked leaders from Dominica st Lucia and where else why is it any different if someone come for the NDP the gurl of these people and their cult followers will find all excuse to defend them, Crazy.
Ralph is becoming very desperate because he is probably seeing “the writing on the wall”. I observed this when he asked his ULP supporters to “get out there” when the votes are being counted. Why is he trying to create any conflict between the people of St. Vincent? I hope he’s sent home to rest, so SVG nationals can all unite to reduce crime and build the economy.
Reading this article confirms that Trinidad is involved in electioneering in St. Vincent against the ULP, the release of documents concerning purchase of properties in T&T by the Gonzalves family around election time is uncanny. Kamala response could well have been delivered from the political platform of the NDP in St. Vincent. Let us stop being hypocrites and work on uniting the caribbean.
To be fair his wife and children are trinidadians so they can apply for HDC apartment.