Green Party: We have right policies

Ivan O’Neal, leader of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Green Party thinks that his movement has “the right policies for the present and long term,” of this country.

O’Neal, originally from the North Windward area of Spring, spent 43 years in England, 31 of those in the Royal Air Force.{{more}}

He has carved out a name for himself as one of the nation’s dynamic characters. He is known for his single-minded approach and has taken on a number of activities which have underlined his nearly enigmatic nature.

He has been prominent on the political landscape, and his decision to create the SVG Green Party has contributed to his growing reputation. The SVG Green Party, formed January 2005, fielded four candidates in the December 7 polls, and they received a total of 37 votes. Party leader Ivan Oneal received 14 votes in East St. George, John Waldron 2, South Windward, Ordan Graham 9, South Central Windward, and Donald O’Neal 12, North Windward.

But the Party leader is not daunted by the apparent lack of support. He is satisfied that the party will gather momentum.

“We will take root. We are not sprinting. We’re running a marathon,” O’Neal said. He was speaking at his home at Harmony Hall on an acre and half expanse of land.

He cited the role of money as a critical factor in the election campaign, and outlined: “Money dictates who goes into office.” According to him, there should be a limit as to how much money one gives a party to help finance their campaign.

“We should have a ceiling and disclosure,” O’Neal said. “Every donation over $3,000 should be made available for public scrutiny,” he added.

O’Neal insisted that no one financed his party, and pointed out that: “a party driven by money is not necessarily the will of the people.”

Asked whether the electorate should take him seriously, O’Neal quipped: “We are serious. They don’t understand our philosophy.”

O’Neal is still peeved that he was overlooked during the build up to the election. He noted that the Green Party was debarred from the process of Voter registration and he took issue with the compilation of the Voters’ list.

He is also not happy with the performance of the Poll Clerks during the last poll and declared that “Poll Clerks should have been better briefed.”

He does not think that regional leaders had any right in Vincentian politics and mentioned that neither St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony, nor Trinidad and Tobago’s Patrick Manning ought to have been here during the electioneering.

O’Neal intends to steer his own course as far as the Green Party is concerned, and he vowed that “we don’t intend to link up with any party.” He admitted that there might be “talks.”

One area of concern for O’Neal is the “high growth of national debt.”

As far as O’Neal was concerned, “I would like to see the country run where revenue creation and wealth creation is the driving force.”

He cited the absence of a debate on the economy as a “stunning” omission in the campaign.

O’Neal predicted “tough” times for the Vincentian economy in 2006 and indicated that “apart from housing, we’re not moving forward. The economy is not moving.”

The Green Party appears not to wish to be caught napping for the 2010 election and he pointed out: “Preparations are very important. You have to start early.”

The Green Party’s symbol is the telephone.