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| St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas (r) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves. |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, DECEMBER 9TH 2005 - St. Kitts and Nevis- Prime Minister the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas says Wednesday's re-election of his Vincentian counterpart, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves was expected his own Caribbean colleagues.
"It is indeed a delightful and pleasurable experience to extend a hand of friendship to embrace you warmly as I offer sincerest and heartiest congratulations on your resounding election victory," said Prime Minister Douglas in a message of congratulations to Prime Minister Gonsalves, whose United Labour Party retained 12 of the 15 seats in the St. Vincent Parliament.
"Ralph, I am impelled to emphasize that your success was not only anticipated by your own electorate but also by your regional counterparts sensitive to your philosophy and vision for the people of your beautiful country," Dr. Douglas told Prime Minister Gonsalves.
Dr. Douglas said that the solid show of support "is testimony of the confidence which your people have reposed in you and your capacity to provide relevant and meaningful leadership in an age of economic uncertainties and socio-political challenges."
He hoped that the second term of office will allow Dr. Gonsalves to further enrich the lives of his own people and strengthen and deepen the integration process as the region embraces wider economic unity.
"Ralph I implore you to give thanks and allow the mercies of the Almighty to saturate the recesses of your mind as you stratigise to chart a new course to take your people upwards and onwards to new horizons," said Dr. Douglas in his message.
The United Labour Party was returned to power with 56 per cent of the votes cast in the general election.
Dr. Gonsalves himself handsomely retained his seat in the rural St. Vincent constituency of North Central Leeward, beating his rival, Cameron Balcombe of the opposition National Democratic party by almost four votes to one.
Some 61,000 people voted in Wednesday's election, from a voters' list containing some 91,000 names.
