Eustace: ‘Gonsalves out of place’

Opposition Leader Arnhim Eustace has called on Camillo Gonsalves, this country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, to apologize to him and to withdraw claims that the announcement of this country’s candidacy for a seat on the UN’s Security Council was never made.{{more}}

Eustace is also of the view that Gonsalves was “out of his place” for commenting on the issue.

“That should have come from the Foreign Minister or the Prime Minister,” Eustace contended.

“I think he should now apologize to me for statements made and for calling on me to go and withdraw my statements,” he continued.

Eustace, speaking last Tuesday May 4, on the “New Times” radio programme, commented on what he termed an admission by this country’s Foreign Minister Sir Louis Straker in an interview aired on SVG-TV on Monday, May 3, that a formal announcement had been made at the recently concluded CARICOM – Brazil Summit declaring this country’s bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations’ Security Council.

“The Ambassador to the United Nations should now be the one to apologize and he should do it right now,” Eustace demanded.

“There is a tendency by some people to treat the Opposition with disrespect and not with the kind of regard they should, particularly in foreign affairs and they paint a picture especially overseas that we are not knowledgeable,” Eustace said.

“I will not come to a radio station to make a special announcement if I didn’t have the information.”

In a document released on April 29 by the Permanent Mission of St Vincent and the Grenadines to the UN, Ambassador Gonsalves challenged Eustace’s statement made earlier that day that an official “announcement” had been made declaring this country’s candidacy for the non-permanent seat in the UN’s Security Council.

“St. Vincent and the Grenadines has made no such announcement to date. At the moment, the only regional candidate for the post is Columbia,” the release said.

The release from the Mission also said that it was false to say that any candidacy for the Security Council by this country would involve a switch from our recognition of Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China.

“The Honourable Leader of the Opposition made this conclusion based on his assertion that ‘China has a veto,’ and that China would not allow a country that supports Taiwan to enter the Security Council.”

When he spoke to Searchlight on Tuesday, May 4, Gonsalves said the Opposition Leader was making “a mountain of the issue” adding that he had not heard Eustace clarify his previous statement about China having veto power to block this country’s bid unless it relinquished relations with Taiwan.

“That was a false statement and we still call on the Opposition Leader to clarify that statement,” the Ambassador told SEARCHLIGHT.

The document also argued against Eustace’s claim that this country should not compete against another state from within the same region and that there were other motives involved in wanting to contest Columbia for the seat.

“The Permanent Mission does not see any need to apologize for clarification of false statements,” Ambassador Gonsalves told SEARCHLIGHT.

He further defended the position taken saying that it was the responsibility of his office to maintain good relations with other countries.

“The Opposition Leader took a position he knew to be false, or should have known was false and that position jeopardizes the position of St Vincent and the Grenadines with one of its greatest allies and that’s why I responded,” Gonsalves explained.

“If anything said offended the Opposition Leader that was unfortunate, but our intent was to clarify the false statements made by the opposition,” he added.(DD)