Persons may be facing legal charges – PM Gonsalves

A number of statements made by persons prior to, during and after the 2015 General Elections point towards breaches of the criminal law here and may soon result in persons facing charges before the court.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, speaking on Monday at Heritage Square in Kingstown, said that the Commissioner of Police Michael{{more}} Charles and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Colin Williams may well have issues with some of the things said by persons attached to the New Democratic Party (NDP). “Unfortunately some have allowed their ignoble and extreme partisanship to blind them into making unfounded and false statements, which clearly point towards breaches of the criminal law, but that is not an issue for my official determination and action; that is the province of the offices of the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions,” the Prime Minister said on Monday.

Gonsalves, who is the Minister of National Security, speaking in an atmosphere of protest action by the NDP, said that it is his duty to ensure that there is no subversion of, or assault upon law and order, safety and security and the democratic institutions here.

“As Prime Minister, I assure the nation that the lawfully constituted authorities of the State will resist stoutly the attempt by anyone to create disorder in our land of peace and stability. No one will be permitted to subvert the will of the people or to take the law into their own hands to satisfy their lust for power,” stressed Gonsalves.

He noted that the NDP, having lost the elections, are required to abide by the rules and in the memorable words of Sir Louis Straker, “take your loss like a big man!”

Gonsalves, whose ULP has been returned to power for the fourth consecutive time, said that the ULP deserves “its magnificent victory because of is phenomenal uplifting campaign of love, grounded in accomplishments over the last 15 years, its vision and plans for the future, its quality team of candidates, its tried and tested quality leadership and its organized communion with the people.”

He noted that throughout the election campaign, no ULP politician engaged in gutter politics and personal denigration.

“You may run a campaign on comess, but you cannot run a country on commess,” said Gonsalves, adding one of his favourite sayings, “politics is serious business for serious people, not an arm of the entertainment industry.”

Gonsalves said that the December 9, 2015 elections have placed the Unity Labour Party (ULP) in a much stronger position, “than immediately hitherto, a prophetic echo so to speak of the words of one popular ULP campaign song, ‘we coming stronger than ever’.

“…I have a lot of experience as what happens before, during and after elections when people win and when people lose so I am very calm, extremely calm about what is taking place. I want to assure you of that,” said the Prime Minister, who is of the opinion that on December 9, the people elected the ULP for a fourth consecutive term for a better harvest.

“…this confirmed the ULP as the natural party of Governance and in the process enhanced the popular support across the country. The eight seats secured by the candidates of the ULP, the existing majorities were unequivocally consolidated or increased markedly. In six of the seven seats where the opposition NDP was returned, the ULP candidates succeeded in cutting the extent of the NDP’s majorities and in three of these constituencies North Leeward, South Leeward and East Kingstown the NDP majorities were significantly slashed.

The ULP more than doubled its margin in the popular votes over the NDP, compared to the elections of 2010. There were some truly outstanding electoral performances from ULP candidates…even in the two Grenadines seats, traditional bastions of the NDP and its founder James Mitchell, the ULP candidates mounted spirited performances.”

He stressed that persons must now accept the election results, as objective observers have rightly concluded that elections were free and fair and the results properly reflected the will of the people.

He revealed that since 1979, he has contested every single general election and he is now the only person actively in politics who has done this since Independence. (LC)