18.FEB.11

Editor: No one can convince me that the post election actions of the New Democratic Party (NDP) are motivated by high moral ideals and that their objectives are to uphold democracy, preserve the rights of our dear people or to save our country from a creeping dictatorship.{{more}}

Indeed, the counter argument can easily be made, that by their actions the NDP are saying no to patriotism, no to democracy and no to the advancement of Vincentians from a colonial mindset.

Let us examine the facts. On December 13, 2010, the Unity Labour Party (ULP) was returned to office for a third term with a majority of the popular vote and a majority of the seats in Parliament. Yet the NDP is claiming that they will organize street protests until new elections are called. Since the elections were held two months ago, they have held two “mass” protests and one demonstration by opposition parliamentarians only. Another is planned for March. With an average of one per month, that is sixty mass rallies that the NDP will have to organize before the next elections. WOW! For what!

In some twisted way, the NDP views its increase in percentage of the popular vote and the number of seats by the NDP as a victory for them. Mr. Eustace, reality check! For the fourth consecutive election, the NDP has lost the popular vote. Mr. Eustace, for the third consecutive election, the NDP has lost the majority of the constituencies. For two of those four elections, the NDP was the party in power and therefore can not accuse the party in power of manipulating the elections. All four elections were fair as declared by independent foreign observers.

The ability of the ULP to buck the trend in the region of denying a political party three consecutive terms points to a clear rejection of the NDP, its style of politics and its refusal to articulate a reasoned policy for the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The NDP needs to regroup, do an introspection and refresh for 2015. Please stop the undemocratic actions and accept the will of the people. Everybody knows that you got over 20,000 votes and that you can mobilize 10 per cent of that number on any given day to come out on the streets. It does not mean you have popular support for your actions. Please stop. Accept the democratic will of the people as expressed through general elections and move on.

I have many friends throughout the region and I have received calls, text, emails and Blackberry messages from non-Vincentians expressing concern about the image of St. Vincent and the Grenadines as seen on CMC and in the regional media. We have a journalist based in the Far East writing as correspondent for regional outlets like Caribbeannewsnow, spreading hearsay. When are we going to put this country before personal ambition? Tourism is now the number one foreign currency earner for this country. We are trying to falsely impress on the tourists that we are a fourth world country out of control? To what end? The actions by the NDP are clearly unpatriotic. .

The specific issue around which this protest action is built is worthy of debate, but mob action? I think not. The PM is correct in sending this second bill to select committee for discussion. Which right thinking citizen in this country really thinks that a person should be barred from serving in political office for what we in this region refer to a political “picong”? What makes the frivolous and vexatious lawsuits even more laughable is the fact that the platform speakers for the NDP are much more adept at political “picong” than the ULP can ever dream of.

NDP is now engaged in political folly that does not advance the democratic process in our beloved country.

John Edwards