Good governance calls for maturity, being responsible and looking out for the people, not opposing just because you can do so.{{more}}

This is the opinion of leader of the Democratic Republican Party (DRP), Anesia Baptiste, which she shared last Sunday during an interview on Unrendered on IKTV.

Baptiste’s comments come in the wake of recent pronouncements of the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) that they will not cooperate with the government unless elections are called.

“You have to be responsible. You cannot say something like that,” the former NDP senator declared.

“The Ralph Gonsalves Government comes in parliament next month with a bill to deal with let’s say electronic crimes or something that is good for the country and you’re telling me that you not going to cooperate with the government?”

The DRP leader highlighted Vincentians’ need for good governance and observed that those comments do not demonstrate good governance.

“Good governance means also…that you’re not just going to oppose because you’re called Opposition. Good governance means you’ll be mature. You’ll be honest enough to admit when something good is being done even by your opponents. Good governance means you’re looking out for the people and not just an opportunity to score some political points at the expense of the people, so I want to see how they are going to justify their position on certain bills to come in the parliament after a statement like this,” she said.

In addition, Baptiste opined that the NDP cannot expect to behave in that manner and expect to win upcoming elections. She stated that the Opposition has a duty to continue working for the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines until the current government is voted out of power.

“Elections are won on Election Day, so if that is the sense that they have, it is complacent. It is irresponsible because you don’t know that you have won until you have won and therefore you cannot take that approach,” Baptiste said.

“You have a duty to work, so don’t tell me you’re not going to cooperate with the Government in things that may be worthwhile cooperating with them in. One has to be very careful. You have to have humility. You have to be mature.”

Baptiste stressed that no Government has ever been completely wrong or completely right and so, it is the duty of the Opposition to be fair.

“What we have here is a situation where it’s as if the ULP and the Government and Dr Gonsalves are always wrong and they could never be right. It’s not mature. It’s not the truth. No Government has always been wrong and no Government has always been right and you have to be fair. People want that kind of maturity now in politics…people are tired of the divide and the cursing and fighting and the denigrating remarks and so on from both sides,” she said.(BK)