Don’t waste your votes, PM tells voters of NDP in two constituencies
PRIME MINISTER, Dr. Ralph Gonsavles, has told supporters of the New Democratic Party (NDP), in the constituencies of the Northern Grenadines, and East Kingstown that they should not waste their votes in the Thursday, November 27, 2025 general elections.
Speaking at a meeting of his Unity Labour Party (ULP) at Brighton, in the East St George Constituency on Tuesday night ,November 11, 2025, Dr. Gonsalves advised persons intending to vote for the NDP not to waste their votes as the two NDP candidates will not be occupying the seats if they win.
“Do not waste your vote, because you’re voting for people who, when the case is brought against them because they are Canadians by their own act …. They are having an acknowledgement of allegiance and adherence to a foreign power state known as Canada.”
He said that the action to challenge the NDP nominations in the Northern Grenadines and East Kingstown, have “frightened the NDP”, adding that the objection “to Friday and Bramble is because they are Canadian citizens and they can’t …get away from the law and the Constitution”.
The Constitution of St. Vincent and the Grenadines 1979, speaks to the disqualification for persons offering themselves as representatives, and senators in Section 26 (1): “No person shall be qualified to be elected or appointed as a Representative or Senator (hereinafter in this section referred to as a member) if he (a) is by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.”
However, Dr. Gonsalves said “The Returning Officers may pass the buck to the courts and say they’re going to register them.
You know what I mean, … wash your hand from it like Pontius Pilate. But there’s a reckoning, you know, and a reckoning will come in the law courts. So I’m telling the people in East Kingstown and in the Northern Grenadines, don’t waste your vote.” On Monday, November 10, 2025, Nomination Day, registered voters in East Kingstown and the Northern Grenadines constituencies wrote to the Returning Officers in these constituencies seeking the disqualification as candidates of Dr Godwin Friday (Northern Grenadines), and Fitzgerald Bramble (East Kingstown), over the issue of dual citizenship.
Dr. Friday, commenting on the challenge to their nomination on local television, dismissed it, stating this was a failed attempt to prevent their nomination.
“We know this is a tired, old argument on the part of the ULP and all of that, no legal merit whatsoever to it…,” he noted. He referred to the move as a “reprehensible effort” on the part of the ULP “to try to derail my nomination…it was not going to succeed.”
Both candidates were duly nominated and will contest the November 27 polls.
Referencing a similar matter involving former St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr. Denzil Douglas, Dr. Gonsalves stated: “…on the basis of the judgment of the Attorney General of St. Kitts and Nevis against Dr. Denzel Douglas of March, 2020, when Douglas was ordered to vacate his seat because he had a passport from the Commonwealth of Dominica, a Caribbean country. That is how strict the courts interpret the constitution and the law.”
He added that the NDP as a result of the actions taken against their two candidates, now “ have a handicap…they have the Sword of Damocles close over their heads. Friday could talk and dance as much as he want, the day of reckoning is coming and the day of reckoning is coming fairly swiftly”.
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