Why you and I will vote for the Unity Labour Party

Dear Fellow Vincentians,

NDP is a party that wants nothing progressive and does not understand the meaning of nation building, bearing in mind Vincentians come first.

Their objective is to get into government because they want power. They keep saying we will do this, we will do that but how they will finance and implement is always in the dark. They are a party and should be renamed “NDP NO”. Here are a few examples of “NDP NO” together with some comments by senior members of the NDP party.

Comments by senior member in the leadership of the NDP Party

• He is peeved by what he views as the ingratitude shown to him by his NDP party.
• In 2000, stating “We (St Vincent and the Grenadines) cannot avert social and economic disaster, only the EU and US can save us.
•  We have enslaved ourselves, the airport is going to kill us, yet they said subsequently it was a near miracle.
• NDP messed up the country and the people were right to get rid of them.
• Newspaper article stated: He referred to another senior member as infantile/poor taste.
• The country would have to look shame.
• Judge us on our record under the NDP prior to 2001.

Hence I submit a few issues of interest why you and I will vote the ULP:

“NDP NO” TO JOBS

• Over 20,000 Vincentians migrated during the NDP time. Despite this migration by 2001 unemployment was 40 percent; indigent poor was 25 percent and under nourishment was 20 percent.
• Manufacturing sector was relegated to almost zero.
• Diamond Estate was earmarked to be an industrial estate. In fact Diamond Diary factory was built to assist farmers. The factory was closed and Diamond Industrial Estate referred to as a cattle pen.
• Campden Park – a thriving industrial estate – turned into a Ghost industrial estate.
• Georgetown was referred to as a Ghost Town.
• Kingstown was referred to as a Garbage dump, certain cruise ships stop coming back.
• Calliaqua – referred to as a Ghost town.
• Sugar/Arrowroot/Crushing plants closed.
• Agricultural workers on the estate of Richmond Wallaibou/Orange Hill, NDP blatantly refused to pay them their severance pay amounting to 3m.
• Newspaper article in 2000 said if farmers can’t compete bananas will die. Effectively saying NDP has done enough to the banana farmers.
• 1992 to 2001 – 4,232 farmers left banana industry.
• Export of fishing was blacklisted.

“NDP NO” to Health

• Mental Home – patients sleeping on the floor and toilets overflowing with filth.
• Shortage of nurses.
• “NDP NO” to the Medical Complex in Georgetown.
• “NDP NO” to the vision now Eye Project.
• “NDP NO” to Transparency and Poverty Reduction
• Failed to get debt relief due to lack of transparency and poverty reduction.
• NDP created a debt of $ 200m dollars in respect of Ottley hall when it was only valued for $ 18m.
• Certain members of the NDP sold state lands to themselves at 40c and 50c per square foot.

“NDP NO” to EDUCATION

• NDP voted against students’ loan in Parliament saying they won’t pay back.
• Teachers were not entitled to a pay increase as they did not perform – newspaper article in 2000.
• Children in some constituencies had to resort to shift system.
• Our public library was left to ruin and not fit for learning.
• 39% of students were only allowed a secondary education.
• Referred to associate degree as worthless.
• NDP parliamentarian advocated that we must not be educating students for exporting.
• $ 9m owed to UWI in respect of student fees at the University.

“NDP NO” to Prison Security

• Total breakdown of security at the prisons in 2000.

“NDP NO” to salary/wages increase

• During 17 years of governance increase wages once.

“NDP NO” to Air development:

• “NDP NO” to International Airport, Canouan Jet Airport.

“NDP NO” to Petro Caribe.

• We have enslaved ourselves, the airport is going to kill us – (yet they said subsequently it was a near miracle).
• NDP senior members referred to the airport as “a phantom airport”/golf course/peanut/ white elephant.
• Unsign ALBA who supported the airport.

l In Parliament one of their members objecting to the air bridge saying it is reckless, irresponsible.

“NDP NO” to other issues:

• Buccama Resort * Foreign Policies * Low income housing * Arnos Vale New City
• Referandum * Rabacca Bridge * Education Revolution * Banking Issues

Fellow Vincentians this short list emphasize why you and I will vote ULP. ULP stands for progress and for all Vincentians at home and abroad.

Lewis