PM Gonsalves to Friday “meet me on election day”

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has described some of the recent utterances of Opposition Leader Dr Godwin Friday, as “ the language in certain countries where you have military coup.”

He made the comment while speaking on NBC radio on Wednesday May 17 as he responded to Friday’s call for trade unions to join with the New Democratic Party (NDP) to “bring down” the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration.

The Opposition leader made this appeal to the unions during the party’s ‘Hope’ rally on Saturday, May 13 in Georgetown.

The Prime Minister recalled that at the NDP rally, Dr Friday called on civil servants, teachers and the police “to join the NDP to bring down what he called a wicked government.”

Providing a lesson on words and their meanings, Gonsalves said “Bring down means overthrow you know.”

The prime minister however expressed confidence that “the civil servants and the teachers and the police overwhelmingly, they know that this is a government which has worked for them and with them.”

The Prime Minister is of the view that Friday’s recent statements “tell you of the desperation of the NDP.”

“They have moved from lawfare to warfare,” Gonsalves said as he recounted some of the actions of the NDP following the 2015 General Elections in St

Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

He reminded the listeners that the party once said no justice no peace.

“The opposite of peace is war,” Gonsalves pointed out.

He charged that Friday was fully articulating warfare on the platform, when he called on the unions to join with his party to bring down the government.

He said the NDP wants to bring down the government at a time when the country is rising amidst many challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At a time when we have more economic activities taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

He pointed out that “There is no mason, carpenter, tile man, electrician, plumber and general construction worker, who wants work and can’t get work”.

Gonsalves also spoke about the “massive construction boom” which will take place over the next several years and additional employment being provided through expansion in the hotel sector.

The Prime Minister also alerted citizens that “it is not the business of the police force to bring down the government.”

The next general elections in St Vincent and the Grenadines will be constitutionally due in 2025.

Gonsalves, whose ULP party has won every election here since 2001, has sent out a challenge to Friday and the NDP.

“You want to bring me down, meet me on election day.”