NDP falling further and further behind

Editor: It is my opinion that as the election race progresses we will begin to see the NDP falling further and further behind.

At first I really thought that they had a realistic chance of pulling back some of the seats that they lost in the last election. {{more}}

However, their policy position on many issues will show them up. Just to look at a few. The new oil deal that was signed between most Caribbean nations and Venezuela. It is a great deal for most of these countries and indeed for SVG.

The NDP’s position on this issue is totally backward and in my opinion nonsensical. Their relative position regarding SVG’s relationship with Cuba. It shows that the NDP has no real fundamental deep rooted policies. I say this because, although the relationship between SVG and Cuba was strengthened under the NDP’s 17-year rule, they seem to have taken the position that everything that the current government does with regard to Cuba is not the right policy.

Indeed the leader of the opposition even went so far as to suggest that we might be offending the USA with our current policy. NDP’s position on the education reforms that are taking place in the country clearly is another issue that highlights the backwardness of their policies. These current reforms might not bear immediate fruits but they will clearly benefit the country in the long term.

What impresses me most about the current reforms is the fact that the people who will ultimately benefit are those from the lower socio economic backgrounds.

Gone are the days when only the children of the upper class in our society got scholarships to go to university. Mind you, most of those who benefited were the children of the NDP big wigs. The current housing programme – no matter how much the NPD tries to spin it is a good example of what was needed in the country for many years. We need much much more of these houses. I would suggest to the government that they ensure that these houses are made available to everyone and not just their supporters. However, I am positive that as more of these houses are built this will happen.

However, putting aside everything that I have said above, the issue that will ensure that the NDP is soundly beaten in the next election is the international airport.The NDP had 17 years to put the necessary structures in place to ensure that an international airport was built in our country. However, instead of really trying to put these structures in place they sought to deceive and mislead us. In fact the government itself was often misled by the likes of Dr. Rolla.

Dr. Rolla with promises of the possibility of the expansion of the E.T. Joshua Airport clouded the judgment of the government. This cloud that was placed over the eyes of the then government deprived our country of one of the most needed vehicles for future development.

If the ULP puts forward a comprehensive plan for the development of an international airport in SVG, one that is realistic and one that can be implemented in the not to distant future it will be a great day for our country. In conclusion it is the opinion of this writer that the NDP, if it seriously wants to be a contender in the next election, must put forward policies that are realistic and will be of benefit to our country as a whole.

Oswald Sutherland