PM drops hints about possible successor

As the Prime Minister gets closer to transitioning out of the leadership of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) and the Government, he has given the strongest hint yet about whom he wants to succeed him.

Last Tuesday, at a press conference at Cabinet Room, Dr Ralph Gonsalves said he has increasingly been giving more responsibility to Saboto Caesar, the Minister of Agriculture and Camillo Gonsalves, the Minister of Economic Planning.{{more}}

He said while he has a timeline in his head about when he will step aside, he is not yet ready to share it with anyone.

He said there are very bright and experienced young men and women in the ULP and he shares a lot of matters with the Cabinet broadly.

“…but I call Saboto and Camillo a lot and bring them into a lot of things that I do; I do it with other people too,” he said.

“You may figure out in your head why is it that I call Saboto and Camillo and give them a lot of additional responsibilities…,” he added, with a smile on his face.

Gonsalves said that his son Camillo, as Minister of Economic Planning and Sustainable Development, is currently leading a team in Washington at a meeting of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

“I have given him the requisite power to sign the US$14 million agreement…with the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development for the road programme,” he disclosed.

He said that both Camillo and Saboto are dealing with a fisheries project at Calliaqua, involving conch, lobster and fish, but mainly lobster.

Gonsalves said when he could not attend a recent opening of a project in Bequia, he asked Camillo and Saboto to represent him.

“I wanted them to be interfacing with all the investors,” he stated.

“So, believe me, when I told the electorate that I will transition, and they put me back in office, among the things, I think they want me to transition,” he declared.

“I have a lot of juice left in me, but it is time for genuinely 21st century men and women….When I am ready to tie up everything together I will say it and the people will trust me to do it.” (CM)