By Jada Chambers
As the historic constitutional election petition nears its final stages, Prime Minister Godwin Friday has described the legal challenges brought by candidates for the opposition Unity Labour Party (ULP) as a case of “sour grapes and sore losers.”
His remarks were supported by lead defence lawyer, Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, who characterised the opposition’s legal tactics as “disingenuous” and “anti-democratic”.
The legal proceedings stem from the November 2025 general elections, where defeated ULP candidate Carlos Williams challenged Friday’s election, claiming that he was not qualified to be a candidate because of his Vincentian and Canadian citizenship.
Luke Browne has also mounted a similar challenge in East Kingstown, where he was defeated, for a second time, by Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble, who is also a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP), which Friday leads.
The legal dispute centres on a constitutional conflict regarding whether holding Canadian citizenship constitutes an allegiance to a foreign power under Section 26(1)(a) or is protected under provisions for Commonwealth citizens.
The trial continued before Justice Gertel Thom on Thursday at the High Court, where several residents of St. Vincent who submitted affidavits on behalf of the defence were cross-examined.
During the proceedings, the petitioners’ legal team questioned the witnesses on when they first became aware of objections to the candidates’ nominations.
They were pressed on what their stances would have been had they known of the constitutional challenges beforehand.
Furthermore, the questioning focused heavily on the witnesses’ political loyalty to the NDP.
They were asked to detail their personal and professional relationships with Bramble, as well as their interactions and relationship with the petitioner, Luke Browne.
Addressing reporters outside the High Court following the day’s proceedings, the prime minister noted that the people elected him to govern, pointing out that sitting in a courtroom directly contradicts the democratic mandate delivered by the electorate in November.
“Because we were elected to serve. When all the issues they wanted to raise, they raised them in the campaign, and the people voted for me as prime minister, they voted for Bramble as the representative for East Kingstown and the NDP, overwhelmingly as the government of choice, and we are working on behalf of the people.”
Friday said that time spent in the courtroom could have been more profitably spent in his office, meeting with people, doing the work of the people, and creating opportunities for them.
Meanwhile, Ramlogan expressed extreme confidence in the outcome, saying that the witnesses all handled themselves very well in the witness box.
“… It was very heartwarming to see so many people coming from Bequia and mainland to support the Honourable Prime Minister and Mr. Bramble.”
Ramlogan explained that these witnesses had been waiting for up to two weeks to testify.
“… The fact that they would give up their time and wait so long to have their seat in court speaks volumes about the love and the passion that they have for the prime minister, Mr. Bramble, and also about their commitment to the democracy and the legal process to elect a new government in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Ramlogan went on to emphasise the significance of the constitutional challenge, reiterating his unwavering confidence in a favourable ruling.
“…Because at the end of the day, the voice of the people is the voice of God, and the voice of the people spoke overwhelmingly, and we don’t anticipate any problems as far as we are concerned,” he said, referring to a popular saying regarding the outcome of elections.
Turning to the core legal arguments of the defence, the senior counsel pointed out that the constitution explicitly allows for Commonwealth citizens to qualify for parliamentary office.
“And you need people who have international exposure and who have returned to St Vincent to serve with the kind of commitment, dedication, and passion that Prime Minister Friday has dedicated.”
Ramlogan added that Prime Minister Friday’s stature is recognised far beyond SVG. He said that he personally travelled from Trinidad and Tobago to lead the defence because the prime minister’s reputation transcends his homeland.
“We respect him and we love him and admire him throughout the Caribbean, certainly in Trinidad and Tobago…”
Ramlogan noted that the NDP has spent 25 years serving the country in the opposition.
“And coming to the fore of government now, for you to try to take it away by legal technicalities … when you have never once before raised it, … it sounds and looks disingenuous, anti-democratic, unconstitutional even, and that is the way the people view it,” he said, referring to the alleged intentions of the petitions.
The lawyer said that the witnesses share similar sentiments.
“And I would add sour grapes and sore losers,” the prime minister chimed in.
Ramlogan further told the media that while SVG is very small, the people are very passionate and committed.
“And you know they have voted, and at the end of the day, it would be a crying shame to see that the will of the people be disrespected in a way that you know the constitution did not intend.”
Friday outlined the remaining timeline for the high-stakes legal battle.
“We have to do the submissions in November, and then the judge … [will] … make her decision,” Friday stated, adding that he is “well satisfied” with the direction the case is going.