How ULP closed its Window of Opportunity in the Southern Grenadines

EDITOR: In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl with the influx of resources to aid the recovery, the ULP had a golden opportunity to win the hearts of the people of Union Island and the entire Southern Grenadines.

History records that the last time there was a change in Government, the people of Union Island voted for the change. They will again vote for the upcoming inevitable change on 27th November 2027. Knowing that the greatest need of the people is employment, this should have informed the rebuilding process.

The first mistake was to encourage the people to vacate the island. Those who sheltered in place did better than those who evacuated. Islanders should have been fully employed with the clean-up process, and some retained long-term to upkeep the parks and beaches. Tent living should have been the order of the day until small two-bedroom units were built from useful materials collected.

Burning good materials was another big mistake. The large amounts of materials collected were sufficient to create jobs for:

•Used materials lumber yard and hardware

•Refrigeration repair

•Furniture repairs

•Household Appliance repairs

•Tailor and Seamstress

•Vehicle Mechanic.

People wanting to import materials for rebuilding should have been facilitated. Rebuilding requires financing and this should have been facilitated through the financial institutions by low and no interest loans. This would have allowed residents to rebuild completely. The business ventures and hotels should have been given priority to rebuild because they employ people and

are the backbone of the local economy.

The ULP was banking on the idea that Nkosi Stewart would have made the race a 3-way one. If Nkosi and Terrance each gained just less than 1/3 of the votes, and Chevonne gained 1/3 of the votes, the ULP would win. As it stands now the NDP is expected to win with more than 2/3 of the Southern Grenadines votes. Additionally, the general state of disrepair in the Southern Grenadines is to the discredit of Chevonne because she represents the party in Government. While the Canouan investors were busy putting on roofs, the Government should have complemented with the installation of guttering to harvest rainwater so that the high cost of importing water would have been prevented.

When the new NDP government audits the Beryl relief efforts, any unwise expenditure would be discovered. Spending should have been prioritized to restore lives and livelihoods to the people expeditiously.

Failure to facilitate Nkosi’s importation of windows and doors for the people is to Chevonne’s discredit.

The challenge of the new NDP government would be great: Police station, bridges, roads, Hard Court, Library, Wharfs, Clinic, Revenue Office, illiteracy and poor Math results. The ULP had opportunity in their hands but lost that window of opportunity.

Anthony G. Stewart, PhD