Sir James: Pop the ULP balloon

Former Prime Minister Sir James Mitchell took to the platform of the party he founded, the New Democratic Party (NDP) Saturday night to lend his support to his successor in the Northern Grenadines constituency, Dr. Godwin Friday. Sounding the call for observers during elections, Sir James said he has been leading observer missions around the world to places such as Nicaragua and Hungary and understood the importance of them. ##:[more]##

“Why does he not want observers in this country now. Don’t tell me about code of conduct and a bunch of church people going to watch you. I won’t worry to make that comparison, you can’t put a cat to watch cheese!”

The former Prime Minister went on, “When you have credible foreign observers and they make a statement, it goes around the world. And Gonsalves is scared of the image of St.Vincent, and keeping election going around the world. That is why he is not ready to invite observers in this country now. And I’m calling on him to invite them now.”

Sir James said that in the last 15 days of election, there should be no registration after the parliament is dissolved. He said for those last days, people “from all over” can come into the country and be registered.

He said that the election was a serious war that must be fought now.

The veteran poliotician said that this country had had four wasted years: “ People have had a lot of pressure and if you put back Dr.Gonsalves there you could expect more pressure, and if you put him there he deserves to give you pressure.

“Congratulations Ralph boy,” he said “if they give you another four years and this pressure is only the start up, give them more because like slavery, they want more licks.”

On the airport issue Sir James said, “Don’t bother about all this talk about airport, he really thought he had something there he was going to try. He had a big balloon going and I put one prick in it on television and down to earth it come.”

Notably absent from this campaign rally was NDP and Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace who was reportedly in New York attending the wedding of his son.