PM chides Cummings on ‘fat lady’ comment

Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves has taken issue with opposition Member of Parliament, Daniel Cummings, for referring to a Government Minister as “a fat lady.” Speaking on NBC radio on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, Gonsalves read parts of a transcript of a recent NDP meeting, where the term was said to have been used in reference to Minister of National Mobilization, Keisal Peters.

The NDP meeting was held at Largo Heights and Cummings, the West Kingstown Member of Parliament, was among the various speakers. While complaining about persons not getting their houses repaired after damage from Hurricane Beryl, on July 1, 2024, Cummings said “the people of West Kingstown have to go to a fat lady” for assistance. It was further claimed that party politics is at play in the rendering of such assistance.

Denying the allegations on Wednesday, Gonsalves said Minister Peters was “reduced by Cummings.”

“Keisal Peters will never ask anybody their party politics,” he declared.

“That is a naked lie from Cummings.”

The Prime Minister explained that the names of persons needing assistance are sent either from the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO), or from assessors.

He argued that if an NDP supporter does not get his or her house fixed, they would say it’s because of politics and vice versa.

“But you can’t fix everybody’s house at the same time.”

Gonsalves said the assessment for house repairs is being done by assessors and the professionals in the Ministry of Housing. Based on the public manner in which the opposition member tried to body shame the female Minister, the prime minister advised that “every fat lady in West Kingstown, and every fat lady in the whole of St Vincent and the Grenadines should not vote for the NDP, because they want a country without any fat lady.”

Minister Peters who is also a Government Senator is expected to be the person to come up against Cummings for the West Kingstown seat in the next general elections. Gonsalves who is also Minister of National Security said Cummings verbally abused Minister Peters publicly, and reminded him that this is a criminal offence. He also sounded this warning: “One thing you don’t do, you don’t go and verbally abuse one of my ministers.”

The prime minister also refuted claims by Cummings that damaged homes in West Kingstown are not being repaired. Quoting from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Gonsalves cautioned Vincentians to “beware of he with a lean and hungry look”.