Hopes and Concerns of Ralph Gonsalves

The Ralph Gonsalves government is headed for an election this December. This is will be the third time that Ralph will contest for the office of Prime Minister. He has been elected in the last two attempts. History, however, states that no Vincentian electorate has returned a Prime Minister for the third time. But there are more pressing concerns on Ralph Gonsalves other than the historical fact. The problems that St. Vincent and Grenadines have are enough to expect retribution. The citizens of the country are tired and disappointed. The gross violations of human rights and the laws of the country have disappointed them. They are now looking for change. And it is this search for a better future that Ralph Gonsalves would find more threatening.



You cannot really blame the Vincentians for being dismayed at the Ralph Gonsalves administration. The country was ravaged by problems and issues when they elected him Prime Minister, back in 2001. When he was up for elections again in 2005, the Vincentians decided that he needs more time to put the country back on the road map of success. But on both counts, Ralph Gonsalves disappointed them. He was not up to the task at hand and spent more time calculating downfalls of his political adversaries. He didn’t want to lead from the front. His strategy was not to stand up on the dais and work his way through transparent means. He was more comfortable with plans and sly maneuvers. That has been the benchmark of his reign as Prime Minister.



Ralph Gonsalves was never a secure leader. He was never open to frank criticism, or to political discussions. He was never one to stand up for ideologies that his party, the Unity Labor Party, stands for. Instead, he made sure that legal hassles were rained down on the person who dared to speak against his governance. A critic or a free thinker never had it easy if he chose to disapprove the ways of Comrade Ralph. The courts are an extension of his backyard. Decisions are taken by him and played out in the judicial corridors. Despite heavy evidence that he actually raped a policewoman posted to guard his house, he was acquitted due to lack of evidence. After this case was shot down amid hushed outrage, there was another case of a Toronto-based human rights lawyer being assaulted sexually. That case was dumped by the wayside as well.



Ralph Gonsalves is a problem in itself for St. Vincent and Grenadines – a deep-seated recurring problem that the Vincentians have to reconcile with on a daily basis. This December the Vincentians will make a decision. It’s their time to decide what their future is. It’s time to think of SVG before ULP or NDP. Ralph has already declared that he has a “dream team” to run during this election. We have seen his team and what they are capable of. They are more suited for nightmares than dreams! It’s time for SVG to carve out a new destiny.



Authors Bio: Edward Thomson is a qualified professional in the field of Economics. He also loves to travel extensively across the Caribbean.You can also check out his other write-ups and/or links to his views/comments HERE.