Dr. Gonsalves: I am the Prime Minister!

His name is Dr. Ralph Everad Gonsalves, and he is the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. And if you had not known, he made it clear last Sunday evening.

He took issue with the response from opposition leader Arnhim Eustace that he (Dr. Gonsalves) was “out of place.” {{more}}

That was in relation to questions that he left for the opposition before he departed on his Ethiopian sojourn.

Among the questions Dr. Gonsalves left was one about Eustace’s trip to Antigua recently where, according to Dr. Gonsalves, Eustace sought money from Texan millionaire Allen Stanford to finance the New Democratic Party’s campaign.

Dr. Gonsalves has emerged as perhaps the number one defender of the regional airline LIAT. He accuses Eustace of wanting to take LIAT out of the sky. Stanford is owner of the rival airline Caribbean Star.

As far as Dr. Gonsalves is concerned, no investor is going to control him.

He pointed to economic improvements here, even with all the problems internationally. But for the Prime Minister: “none of them could put me inside their pocket.”

”They could do Arnhim (Eustace) that, like how they do Mitchell (Sir James).”

DR. Gonsalves seemed angry with Eustace and answered: “I am the Prime Minister.”

He chided Eustace for having a planter class mentality and mentioned that he was not working with Eustace.

“I ain’t no goddam yard boy for Arnhim Eustace,” the PM stated.

He insisted that Eustace must answer the questions he posed. There has been something of a sparring contest taking place between the two leaders.

Perhaps it is a case of shadow boxing, for there has been no official contest. However, the calls have been echoing for a debate between the two established party leaders.

Dr. Gonsalves seems anxious for the debate, so much so that the ULP has come up with a song, with a remix of lyrics dropped by Dr. Gonsalves boasting that he would “punch” Eustace and when he did he would ask in Mohammed Ali fashion: “What’s my name?”