Gonsalves files complaint with Christian Council

The Unity Labour Party (ULP) has filed one formal complaint with the St Vincent and the Grenadines Christian Council and an informal one with head of that body Monsignor Michael “Father Mike” Stewart.

The complaints pertain to the destruction on Wednesday night of a billboard of the ULP in Campden Park and comments made by New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate St Clair Leacock.

New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate St Clair Leacock

Speaking at the Coast Guard Base in Calliaqua yesterday, Gonsalves said that on October 14, a billboard promoting Mineva Glasgow, the ULP’s candidate in South Leeward was pulled down.

“I called Father Mike who heads the Christian Council now and I made that as a formal complaint because once you start that, a war of pulling down billboards begins.

“And all you do, you do a Samson, you pull the temple down on everybody head including your own and nobody should try and be a Samson,” Gonsalves said.

As to the informal complaint, Gonsalves said he has asked Father Mike to call Leacock, the NDP’s Central Kingstown candidate, and ask him to stop using certain words and phrases on the campaign trail.

Gonsalves said that Leacock commented, “the Major control Central Kingstown and Ralph think he name man he must come up dey.”

“St Clair Leacock has been joining Daniel Cummings with anger in his voice, and this latest one, I know he doesn’t mean it, but he probably getting real frustrated; is a security issue, not a political issue so I am raising it.

“I will deal with it as a campaign issue, but I spoke to Father Mike, I say, ‘St Clair is a Catholic and you must call him and talk to him’, but I don’t think he means it when he says that ‘the Major control Central Kingstown and Ralph think he name man he must come up dey’,” Gonsalves said.

He said Leacock commented that he (Leacock) controls Central Kingstown like how Gonsalves controls North Central Windward.

“I don’t know why he always trying to compare himself with me. I have a majority of over 2000 votes, he has a majority of over 500.

Monsignor Michael “Father Mike” Stewart.

“I mean I have been into Central Kingstown and if for any political reason, anybody touch a hair on my body, I’m a peace maker and I don’t want no war, so I just asking my partner St Clair, cut out them kinda talk nah because there is some ignorant man…,” Gonsalves commented.

He said that women are usually more sensible with these issues, but sometimes men go overboard and this is a security issue.

“I raise it with Father Mike not to make a formal compliant but I ask him to stop it.

“Just cool it me brethren and don’t get on like that,” Gonsalves said, while adding that Leacock is welcomed in North Central Windward where the constituents would cook for him and treat him well, “but we not voting NDP.”