A long wait ahead for the opposition, says Slater

If Foreign Affairs Minister Douglas Slater has his way, it will be a long time before the New Democratic Party (NDP) gets into office here.{{more}}

Slater made this sentiment clear last Saturday evening, while addressing the cocktail ceremony hosted by the Taiwanese Embassy, to celebrate the inauguration of Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou, at the Grenadine House in Kingstown Park.

Slater was responding to statements made by Opposition Parliamentarian St Clair Leacock, who, while paying tribute to President Ma, identified the NDP as the ‘government in waiting’.

“I heard the comment about a government in waiting, and my representative will understand that I will do my best to ensure that that is a very long wait. But we will continue in our transformational relationship.”

Slater also responded to Leacock’s call for a shift in the relationship between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Taiwan.

“…Our successful history has been very transactional; for, in return and in respect, we have always been a major champion for the people of Taiwan in the international fora and long may that be so. But certainly, the relationship, such as the one we now enjoy, can be understood to be in a mature state and is perhaps opportune for us to move beyond the transactional to the transformational stage of development,” Leacock stated.

Slater retorted that the relationship between the two allies has indeed been transformational, especially over the past ten years.

“I can quote some examples as to why it is correct to say so: in the last decade, for the first time in three decades, we started to send students to study in Taiwan; that is as a direct result of the policy of our administration of its Education Revolution.

“Why is that transformational? We have observed and the world knows that the Mandarin Chinese language is very important…. We have over fifty students in Taiwan, as we speak; some of them have graduated and are back here; the Master of Ceremonies (Gordon Shallow) is one example of the transformational relationship that we have had.”

Slater said that it was the hope of his government that their transformational relationship will enable this country to copy some of the economic successes that Taiwan has enjoyed, despite its limited resources and challenges.

“I am personally humbled and honoured to have been part of the team that has assisted some progress for the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan,” he added.(JJ)