Our goal is to change the government – Dr Friday

The ultimate goal of the New Democratic Party (NDP) is to change the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Opposition leader, Dr Godwin Friday made this declaration last week Thursday, while speaking to media and supporters outside of the High Court, where the judgment of the Election Petitions had been handed down just minutes before.

“The most important thing for us to understand is that these petitions, they were to bring forward the date for an election,” Friday said. “But as it is now, four years, three and a half years later, elections will come no matter what and they could run, but they can’t hide and eventually, they will be made to account for it at the polls.”

Justice Stanley John, the judge who presided over the Election Petitions, ruled that there was no evidence to support the allegations made in the petitions; he dismissed both petitions, and declared Unity Labour Party (ULP) candidates, Montgomery Daniel and Sir Louis Straker validly returned. It was also ruled that the petitioners are to pay costs to the respondents, which are to be assessed, if not agreed.

Friday told NDP supporters that it was not a time for weeping or mourning, but to prepare to fight for the country and a better electoral process. “This is a time for us to galvanise ourselves into action, to understand what we are up against and to ensure that what happened in the last elections, never happens again in St Vincent,” the opposition leader said. “You can count on me and the members of the New Democratic Party and all of our supporters of the New Democratic Party that this is the day we start our campaign to change the government of this country and to change this country going forward.”

He said that the party has persevered through numerous obstacles over the last three years and will continue to do so as the ultimate goal is to ensure that the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines changes.

“It’s a call … to action, for all of us to take up the responsibility as citizens to transform our country. We will look at the decision of the court in detail and decide how we legally proceed,” Friday said.