PM says he is willing to work with Christian Council

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has indicated that he is willing to work along with the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Christian Council regarding political reconciliation.{{more}}

The Prime Minister, speaking at Rabacca on Sunday, March 27, during his Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) celebration of ten years in office, said that he is willing to work with the Council, with whom he met two weeks ago, for the love of the country.

In a four-point statement issued last week, the Council called for an immediate process of reconciliation between the ULP and opposition New Democratic Party (NDP).

They also called for the Representation of the People Amendment Bill 2011 and all protests to be put on hold. An offer was also made by the Council to facilitate an independent analysis of the Bill and that they (the Council) play a mediating role in the process.

Responding to the Council’s request for the hold on the Bill, Dr. Gonsalves indicated to the supporters that the Bill is in fact on hold and that any request for additional time by the Council would be accommodated.

“…The Bill is already on hold; the next meeting is May 5th for the Select Committee…. You have until May 5th. If they say to me that they want another two weeks beyond that, that’s fine for me.

The Christian Council say they want time to get somebody independent to study the

whole Representation of the People’s Act… I know that at the end of the study will show that there is nothing in the Bill to be afraid of in the way in which Eustace them talking, so I don’t have any worry about that.”

Dr. Gonsalves said that he is confident that when the time comes, the Bill will be passed.

With respect to reconciliation, Dr. Gonsalves said that he informed the Council that the opposition NDP needs to reconcile themselves to the fact that they lost the General Elections, which took place on December 13th last year.

The Arnhim Eustace-led NDP organised a series of protests during the Parliamentary sittings this year, objecting to a number of issues, including a proposed amendment to the Representation of the People Act.

“You can’t lose it and think you win it.”

“If you want to believe you win it and mek yourself a fool every other week by bringing 200 people in town, that doesn’t do anything against me or the country,” Gonsalves said.

“These are serious people and I listen to them (the Council) and I pay attention to what they say. It doesn’t mean that everything they say that I will agree with, but I pay attention to what they say.”

The Prime Minister opened his address with what may be seen as a step towards reconciliation, by calling on his supporters to love their neighbors as they love themselves, but at the same time, he said it does not mean loving their sins.

“Because if you hate, it will eat you inside; and those to whom you show goodness turn upon you, it would be hot coals upon their heads.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is too small for the hatred and the division that some are devoted to engendering. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is too poor a country for us to waste so much resources in fighting and pulling down one another.

I know that some of you may not be happy with this message. Some of you may say that you must fight fire with fire, but if you fight fire with fire, fire will burn up all of us. It does not mean that when you love your neighbour you can’t disagree with your neighbour, and if your neighbour is doing wrong, you don’t have to follow your neighbour in the wrong, and if your neighbour is preaching lies and falsehoods, it is your duty to rebut those lies and falsehoods and if your neighbour is preaching a false and improper doctrine, it is your duty to preach the correct doctrine.”