BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves has come out in a strong show of support for the ruling St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) in the upcoming elections.
While addressing hundreds of delegates and invited guests at the 77th annual SKNLP Conference on Sunday (May 17) at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort and Royal Beach Casino, the Vincentian leader declared that he was absolutely “a Labour man” and urged continued national support for the Party.
Gonsalves referenced several achievements by the SKNLP throughout its 14-year tenure, particularly in the areas of education, housing and the overall standard of living. He also praised the SKNLP Political Leader and Prime Minister of the Federation, Dr. the Hon. Denzil Douglas, for his “amazing” leadership qualities.
“Who gave the people of this Federation universal secondary education? Who allowed the children of poor and working-class persons to seek university educations? Who brought the country from backward conditions to one of the most advanced standings in the world?
“Labour has made gains in education, health, housing and social security and social safety nets. It has tackled issues such as regional integration, trade and investment, good governance and crime and security. Your progress is the envy of far larger countries, and that is because Labour has been making that progressive change,” he explained.
“Denzil Douglas is an intellectual giant; he has splendid powers of articulation and a vision that is people-centred. [Leadership] is not just to inspire but to draw out of [your supporters] that which is good and noble in them, even if they do not know they possessed it. Denzil Douglas and his colleagues have done that for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis,” stressed Gonsalves.
The leader also had strong words for main opposition party PAM and its Political Leader Lindsay Grant. Telling delegates not “to elect a mistake”, he made several insulting remarks directed at Grant’s leadership abilities.
“Those who have come from the past of privilege and want to dress up themselves for the working people; well…you could dress up monkey. Any way you dress up monkey, monkey could look pretty. But in this Caribbean we are not fooled by people, who have lived a particular life against the working people, trying to present themselves that they are for the masses of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“The book of St. Paul’s says ‘Who is to teach, must teach. Who is to preach, must preach. Who is to lead must lead.’ It doesn’t mean to say that if you have a little law office that you could be Prime Minister. It doesn’t mean that if you could flip over hamburger or fry chicken you could be Prime Minister.
“Each man and woman is to his own calling. If a man is a good fryer of chicken, I grant you that, and I leave you with that, but leave Prime Minister to Denzil Douglas,” Gonsalves asserted.
