Consolidate the revolution says PM Gonsalves

There is an air of electioneering taking over if one were to take cue from the number of openings that are occurring weekly.

But Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves is keeping the date for the poll close to his chest. {{more}}

He often states that “the Almighty has not yet spoken” to him in relation to when the election would be called. However, ever so often, he injects a sense of election fever to his audiences.

Dr. Gonsalves was in that sort of mood last Monday as he addressed the opening of the North Leeward Learning Resource Centre.

The Prime Minister stressed on the matter of self-belief, and pointed out: “You could only compete if you have self-belief.” That, he pointed out, was a concept embedded in the school programme, which he said was “reflective of the government’s core values”.

Dr. Gonsalves stretched his presentation to include the accomplishments of his Unity Labour Party administration since being installed following the March 28, 2001 poll.

He noted however, that there was “much still to be done”, while he reminded his supporters to be prepared for when he rings the bell.

In a somewhat cagey mood, Dr. Gonsalves was decidedly vague as to the holding of the next poll, which is constitutionally due before June 2006. The Prime Minister appeared to be playing a game with the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) but alerted his supporters that the “revolution in education”, which his party had implemented, was in danger of being reversed by “counter-revolutionaries”.

“You need to consolidate the revolution,” the Prime Minister outlined.

He referred to the difficult times brought on internationally since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States of America, but declared that even with the occurrences of several natural disasters and other setbacks.

One worry to the Prime Minister was “a small group, bent on a life of crime.” He echoed his feelings of disgust with criminals and encouraged the police officers: “When you meet the gunmen, you do not have to read to them the beatitudes. They have to walk the straight and narrow way,” Dr Gonsalves disclosed.