Eustace: Call the elections now!

Call the elections now. We are ready for it!

That is the challenge being issued to Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves by the leadership of the New Democratic Party (NDP).{{more}}

“Call it now – we not playing around,” said Allan Cruickshank, General Secretary of the NDP.

Cruikshank said that Dr Gonsalves has failed as a leader and has not carried himself as a statesman.

At a recent press conference, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said that he knows the date of the next general elections, which he said came to him as he studied the Bible one night.

Dr Gonsalves, however, said that he is keeping the date close to his chest. And he laughed off the various speculations being made by some with regard to when the Elections will be called.

He said that the speculations were being made without basis.

“We have an economy that is declining, and declining fast, and a government may decide before it gets worse – let me go,” said Opposition leader Arnhim Eustace in face of the prospect of an early Election.

Speaking at a town hall meeting last Thursday, February 12, held at Democrat House, Eustace told the sprinkling of supporters that the Opposition cannot be bothered with Dr Gonsalves hints or statements but must be ready.

“It is important to keep your eyes on the ball,” he said.

Eustace said that he was disappointed that persons from the party have not taken advantage of the Election Day training that was made available since last November.

He said that the training was important to ensure that irregularities, which his party claims took place in the December 7, 2005, Elections, don’t recur.

“A lot of things happened on Election Day the last time which should not have happened. We cannot afford to allow them to happen again,” he stated.

Eustace emphasised that he paid an official visit and had a “good meeting” with the new Supervisor of Elections, Sylvia Findlay-Scrub, and brought a lot of things to her attention.

He noted that the meeting was called by Findlay-Scrubb “which is quite a departure from what we have had in the recent past”, he said.

The NDP was quite vocal in their call for the removal of the former Supervisor of Elections Rodney Adams from office.