Citizens of St Vincent and the Grenadines will have the opportunity to have their issues addressed directly by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, once he launches his new radio programme.{{more}}

Gonsalves announced in Parliament last Friday, that he will host a radio programme dubbed “Ask the Prime Minister.”

He made this announcement in response to a boycott by the Opposition of a sitting of the House of Assembly on October 24, 2014 and their failure to submit any questions to be asked during the session.

“As someone devoted and committed to parliamentary democracy and justice and freedom in this land and someone who believes in a committed and passionate sense in St Vincent and the Grenadines and our people, it is my duty therefore to announce that if the Opposition couldn’t come here to ask me any questions or ask the Executive any questions…as far as my official duties are concerned, not in a political sense, I will host a weekly radio programme,” the Prime Minister declared.

In a general outline of the programme, he noted that the show will run for at least an hour and a half on the state owned radio station, National Broadcasting Corporation. A day has not yet been chosen for the airing of “Ask the Prime Minister.” Gonsalves also stated that persons would be able to call in while the programme is being aired and ask their questions.

“Citizens of this country who are…not represented by the Opposition, who are let down by them, … they can write to me and they will put on the envelope or drop it off at the office, ‘Question for the Prime Minister’, under the heading, ‘Ask the Prime Minister’,” Gonsalves said.

“I will also go further and ask the Minister of Telecommunications to get and work with his officials and my Cabinet Secretary to set up the requisite account for questions to be sent by email to ‘Ask the Prime Minister.’ Naturally, I will get a lot of questions which will probably be more than what I can answer at any one time…when I get the questions, I will submit them to, those which are written to, the public servants in the same manner in which when they ask the questions, I submit to the public servants to get the information.”

The Prime Minister added that he was calling on the people of the nation to use this opportunity to ask whatever questions they may have, since the Opposition has chosen not to do its duty.

“They must stop this tomfoolery with the Parliament of this country and the people’s business,” he said. (BK)