“Whenever an offspring follows a parent in public service, there is always a danger of every move, any action, being coloured by the politics or standing of the elder.”
That’s a quote from a 2007 Searchlight article covering the appointment of Camillo Gonsalves, the son of then-prime minister, Ralph Gonsalves, as St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ UN ambassador.
The same article cited then-opposition leader Arnhim Eustace as saying he would never appoint his son, while PM Gonsalves said he can’t discriminate against his son.
As this matter took the country by storm, the word “nepotism” took hold in our vocabulary from that point onwards, as Eustace referred to the UN appointment as “a clear case of nepotism”.
Prior to that, in 2005, Camillo Gonsalves was made the solicitor general in the Attorney General’s chambers.
In the 2005 article, again by Searchlight, which covered the appointment in the AG Chambers, “Dr. Gonsalves expressed happiness with having his son with him and traced Camillo’s academic background.”
The current matter of Prime Minister Friday’s son’s role is perhaps a question that the now-opposition leader Gonsalves, is not qualified to ask.
However, PM Friday should have used the opportunity to express and detail to the nation the extent of his son’s engagement as his aide.
Though the opposition leader may not be qualified to pose such a question, many in the public were seeking answers. Perhaps it’s the right thing to do in any case.
While this is nowhere near the same level as Camillo’s appointments and ascension to finance minister and parliamentary representative, PM Friday should still seek to bring official clarity to the nation on this matter.
The Speaker of the House of Assembly’s role and authority end at the boundary of the Parliament and is not the voice of the nation, so disallowing the opposition leader’s question doesn’t quench curiosity.
Also, the legacy of Gonsalves as prime minister should not dictate the path forward for SVG. Prime Minister Friday himself, during the swearing-in ceremony at Arnos Vale, asked us to never let him forget that we — the people — are his boss.
What exactly is the son’s role? What is he not exposed to, as far as the government’s own operation? Does he sit in the Cabinet? Does he have access to confidential information? Is he part of the official entourage with state-covered travelling? Some of these questions are ones that we used to ask of the former government and every time they were excused.
Let’s have clarity on this matter once and for all. I suggest that the son be officially appointed to the role of personal aide to the prime minister, with a defined job description, even if it is voluntary.
I think the nation is reasonable enough to accept that. Let’s have clarity and guard against small incremental changes that led to the SVG we’ve had for the last 25 years.
Observer
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I find SVG Government a laughing stock. I sympathize with the people of SVG because what is going on in the government affects them.
Yes …there is a call for clarification on this.
I wish people would put their names to articles like this because the issues that are raised lose their value under a pseudonym.