ULP has not been a dismal failure – NDP’s Dr Shallow

Dr Kishore Shallow, the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) pick to contest the North Leeward seat during the next general elections says the Unity Labour Party (ULP), has not been a dismal failure.

But Shallow is also of the opinion that many neighbouring islands have surpassed up in growth, allowing St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to appear stagnant.

“…this is not to say that the ULP administration has been a dismal failure, it is not to say that they haven’t done anything over the two decades they have been there.

“It is not to say that they really haven’t accomplished anything, and anyone who suggest that would be disingenuous and not paying attention…but the reality is, if you really compare us to our neighbouring islands and you look at the pace at how some of them are accelerating relative to us, Grenada, Saint Lucia, we don’t even need to go any further because we must just embarrass we self…” Shallow said on radio on Wednesday, September, 25, 2024.

The parliamentary hopeful was speaking on Hot 97.1 FM’s AM Mayhem radio show where he opined that SVG has not accelerated economically at the pace at which it should be accelerating.

“…in fact, some would say we are stagnant of even going backward,” said Shallow who also is President of Cricket West Indies.

He added that in his opinion SVG is at least 30 years behind Saint Lucia economically.

“A friend and colleague of mind said recently to me, he isn’t living in St Vincent but he has been here many times from in the region, and we are speaking specifically about Saint Lucia, he said where St Vincent is currently is where Saint Lucia was 30/40 years ago.

“And it is the harsh reality. When you look at our potential, natural resources versus a Saint Lucia that has been capitalizing on tourism for the last couple decades, we can’t even say that we have a well packaged tourism product up to this point,” Shallow commented.

The aspiring politician said there are many untapped possibilities for SVG and the country is ripe for development, “for the fact that we are so far behind in some areas.”

The Cricket West Indies head stressed that he is not saying that SVG has not achieved anything under the ULP administration, as he recognizes the importance of the Argyle International Airport (AIA) and other accomplishments.

“I am proud to say we have an international airport, but if you are practical, if you are paying attention to the rest of the world, our neighbouring islands and so on, you would say that we should have been far ahead,” Shallow said, while adding that he thinks Vincentian are at a point where they know better and are demanding better.

“They are saying thanks, thanks for your contributions, thanks for your commitment and sacrifices through the ULP administration, but we demand more now and we are at a point where we need to be accelerating, that we need to catch up with our neighbours, and I think that would be a fair conclusion by many Vincentians.” Shallow said as well that since he turned up for the NDP he has received many calls from ULP supporters who have told him they have his support as the country needs a change.