Prime Minister Godwin Friday has urged Vincentians disappointed in the Nov. 27 general election result to move beyond their hurt, saying that the country can expect him to be a leader who works for all.
“My ministers and I are committed to working together with all who wish to contribute to the rapid development, peace and progress of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” he said at the swearing-in of the Cabinet in Arnos Vale.
“We want to see a country where every young person has opportunity and hope for a brighter future. We want to see a country where jobs, many jobs, new jobs are created, attracting investment from abroad, building up businesses here at home,” the prime minister said.
“We want to see a country where health care and education are not reduced to mere slogans, but our priorities for our government and for our people, and we want a government that would invest in them wisely and abundantly. We want to see a country where families can earn enough to not be constantly worrying of how to make ends meet. We are one people.”
Friday noted that there are people who are disappointed and even hurt because the election did not go their way.
“But politics is not the only thing that defines us, as important as it is. There is much more that binds us as a people: family ties, community ties, church and school ties, and the common love that we all share for our country.
“I therefore urge us all, as we have just concluded the elections, and especially in this time of the Christmas season just around the corner, to rely upon these ties to put our differences in proper perspective, which is to say that they do not and should not ever prevent us from working together earnestly for the good of our country.”
Friday led the New Democratic Party (NDP) to a 14-1 victory at the polls, ending the Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) 25-year run in governance.
He led the party to victory on its second attempt, after failing in 2020 — four years after becoming party leader — when the NDP suffered its fifth consecutive defeat.
In the 2020 poll, the ULP gained an additional seat, returning to government 9-6 after Carlos James was declared the winner of the North Leeward seat by a single vote following a contentious recount.
The silver lining for the NDP was that it won the popular vote for the first time since 1998.
In his speech on Dec. 1, the prime minister said:
“For those who may be disappointed by the results. I know how you feel. I have been there. But remember, we do not appoint ourselves. I did not make myself the prime minister. The people did — with a clear and loud voice.
“They have given us an unmistakable mandate to govern based on our plans, our programmes and the candidates that we have presented to them in the last general election. We must all accept that and move on to do the great things that this moment demands of us for our country.
“It is in the nature of our democracy that governments change, and it is there because change is necessary to refresh and to renew government, to bring new hope and new energy to our country.”
Friday has become the fifth prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, three of whom were from the NDP, with Sir James Mithcell, the party founder, having served 16 years in the role and Arnhim Eustace, who succeeded Sir James, having served five months as the head of government.
Ralph Gonsalves, who Friday defeated, is the country’s longest-serving prime minister, having served 24 years and eight months as head of government.
“I wish to thank the former Prime Minister Gonsalves and all of those who served in the previous government for their service to country,” Friday said.
“We may have differed about approaches, but I never question the intentions of anyone who offers themselves to serve.
Friday said that Vincentians can expect his government to work for all of the people.
“In me, you will have a prime minister who works for all our people, you will have a prime minister who understands and accepts that my primary responsibility is to work every day to make life better for you. I cannot sleep well when a mother has to choose among her children who will attend school on a day because she cannot afford to send both.”
He said he cannot sit comfortably when young people are locked out of the economy, unable to find employment or to afford to further their education.
“I have said, and I repeat here, that I am committed to making it more affordable for our young people to achieve an education, and in so doing …, the admission fees to community college — we will start there — will be abolished.”
He said the secondary school fees will also be made easier for families and their children to manage with their education.
“In this country, where we value education highly, the costs of fees and charges should not be an obstacle to basic education,” the prime minister said.
“I ask what you can expect from my government. We will be a government that listens, as I have said many times before to my colleagues, and I say, here now again, we cannot represent you unless we find out from the people what you want us to represent you about.”
Great sentiments. May the Good Lord strengthen and guide the N̈DP administration
To drive economic growth in SVG, we must invest in our natural assets. This means building factories to process our fruits into juice, our timber into wood products, and our fish and produce into canned goods. Furthermore, we must seriously reconsider the geothermal energy option that the ULP government left behind.
IWN, you must review the way in which you make your news captions.