Augustus Carlos Williams, the Unity Labour Party (ULP) candidate petitioning to overturn the Northern Grenadines election result, has used biblical scripture to oppose against dual citizenship in Parliament, asking whether elected officials can “serve two masters at the same time.”
Speaking to reporters outside the High Court on Thursday after closing arguments concluded, Williams praised his legal team. He thanked Senior Counsel Stuart Young and Counsel Carlos James for an “excellent, excellent, excellent presentation from start to finish.”
Williams and fellow defeated ULP candidate Luke Browne filed petitions to invalidate the November 2025 general election victories of Prime Minister Godwin Friday in the Northern Grenadines and Foreign Affairs Minister Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble in East Kingstown. In that poll, Friday retained the Northern Grenadines’ seat with 2,185 votes to Williams’ 339. The petitioners contend that the Constitution disqualifies both New Democratic Party (NDP) lawmakers from sitting in Parliament because they hold Canadian citizenship.
Williams framed the challenge as a constitutional matter of allegiance.
“You know, I must say—like it is often said in church—’I am well pleased.’ And as Christ would have said, ‘I am well pleased’ that they would have represented us well, that they presented an argument that speaks to what we consider the core issue here in question, having to do with a constitutional matter of allegiance [and] dual citizenship,” Williams told reporters.
Williams said he has heard comments regarding “losing deposits,” adding that these concerns are “neither here nor there.”
He maintained that the fundamental question before the court is whether someone can serve two masters at the same time.
“And my answer to that—and biblically it is no—and a decision will be determined, and that is the argument that is put by the Senior Counsel and the team,” Williams said.
Williams continued his point, saying he is “very satisfied, very confident” that the petitioners will win when the judge delivers the ruling.
“And the thing is, not just we—as in Luke Browne, myself and the team—but in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, that the Constitution will come out victorious. And that is what is at stake in this thing,” he said.
Williams added that all the other “old talk and rabble-rousing” does not mean a thing.
Young also spoke with the media after court on Thursday. He said “very, very important election constitutional points” were raised during the proceedings and noted that the parties now await presiding judge Justice Gertel Thom’s decision.
“Couldn’t ask for a better judge. She’s excellent with a lot of experience, and from the legal team’s point of view, I think our case has gone very, very well, and I’m very satisfied and looking forward to the outcome,” Young said.
“As she said, early—well, sometime next year, which again isn’t surprising [given] the amount of arguments that were raised and the importance of the issue, and this is not the only matter. So, I look forward to it,” Young said.
Friday and Bramble, whom Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan represents, deny the allegations. They insist that as Commonwealth citizens, the Constitution permits them to sit in Parliament. Speaking after the hearing, Friday said his legal team presented their case well and expressed confidence that the court would uphold the choice of the electorate.