New Democratic Party (NDP) Senator Dr Linton Lewis has said that a team of capable candidates has been assembled to liberate St Vincent and the Grenadines from its current socio-economic storm.

The East St George caretaker and chair of the NDP told the audience at a town hall meeting {{more}}held last Saturday at the Friends of Crown Heights auditorium in Brooklyn, New York, that his party is ready to once again lead the country into an era of peace and tranquillity, as opposed to what he described as war and strife, which he told his listeners was crippling the country.

Lewis said that the country, under the NDP, would be ably led by a team of experienced men.

“We in the New Democratic Party have assembled a rescue team that I call ‘Rescue St Vincent and the Grenadines’ with the Honourable Arnhim Eustace at the helm, holding the reins of East Kingstown and backing the storm winds as he steers the ship of state.

“His able supporters are a team of men who are tried and tested in business, in law, in agriculture, in health, in education, in engineering in management and finance and economics, in sports….” Lewis stated.

“We are asking you to trust our judgement, because our sacrifices would not have been made if we were not convinced that Mr Eustace was not the best choice at this time to steer the ship of state into calmer waters away from the doldrums… into a port of safety and tranquillity.”

He identified the other members of the team as Lauren Baptiste, representing North Windward, Kenneth Johnson in North Central Windward, Addison Thomas in South Central Windward, Noel Dickson in South Windward, Curt Bowman in Marriaqua, Dr Jules Ferdinand in West St George, St Claire Leacock in Central Kingstown, Daniel Cummings in West Kingstown, Nigel Stephenson in South Leeward, Ben Exeter in Central Leeward, Patel Matthews in North Leeward, Dr Godwin Friday in the Northern Grenadines, and Terrence Ollivierre in the Southern Grenadines.

“The NDP is ready, the NDP is willing, the NDP is able, and the NDP is equipped to wrest this tumultuous, gruesome and frustrating experience….” Lewis added.

Lewis decried what he described as moral decay.

“We see that over 75 per cent of crimes that are committed in St Vincent and the Grenadines are carried out by persons under the age of 35 years. We’ve experienced approximately 25 murders for this year alone, many of whom are young people.

“The funerals have been large. Many are still mourning, but the death toll is still rising.

“Unless the New Democratic Party takes office in this country, then decadence will not cease.

“So we ask our PM Gonsalves to ring the bell and relieve the people of their misery; ring the bell to rid our people of frustration, poverty, victimization, depression, discrimination, political polarization… so at least our people of our country can begin the freedom and tranquillity that they deserve.”

Also addressing the town hall meeting was NDP North Windward hopeful Lauren Baptiste.

Patel Matthews, who was scheduled to speak at the function, was not able to make it to New York.(JJ)