The NDP has only been in government for a few months, and it is premature to criticise them.
The ULP maintained power for 25 years without significant opposition. Therefore, why are you criticising the NDP who are just only a couple months in government?
These outlandish and hypocritical comments, some of the most I have seen since the NDP took office on November 27, 2025, often arise when citizens scrutinise or criticise a decision made by the NDP.
For example, a leaked social media list of board members in SVG reveals close family members of several ministers on various boards. Some ministers even have multiple family members representing different boards.
If this leaked list has any truth to it, while it is not necessarily inappropriate for ministers to have family on government boards, the presence of multiple family members on different boards suggests that decisions about board members may have been influenced by family and friends. This raises concerns about nepotism, a significant corruption practice of the ULP administration that lasted nearly 25 years. Vincentians voted against this in the last election, and the NDP promised to eliminate it if they became the government. Are they fulfilling this promise?
Nepotism in politics involves favouring family members or close friends in political appointments and administrative positions. This undermines democracy by favouring unqualified candidates, eroding public trust, and perpetuating social inequalities.
If the leaked list of board members in SVG is accurate, it suggests that our democracy is being undermined by family connections. The ULP’s 25-year practice of awarding public positions based on familial relationships and friendships eroded the principle of meritocracy. This has led to the country suffering from incompetent leaders and ineffective management. The new NDP government must not be held responsible for this.
Such actions and decisions by the new NDP government will only perpetuate a significant threat to democratic integrity and institutional effectiveness. It is concerning that these issues have arisen so early in their first term in government since 2001. Such decisions are not in line with the change Vincentians voted for last November and could lead to widespread inefficiency and corruption.
If the NDP, which promised to listen to the concerns of Vincentians, fails to address this public outcry, it could erode public trust in the government. The social media reaction since the list was leaked suggests citizens view the board members as favouritism and are growing disillusioned with the political system. This could negatively impact voters, leading to decreased civic engagement and scepticism about democratic processes.
If the NDP is out to concentrate power and resources among a privileged few, this will certainly display the willingness to maintain systemic inequalities and exclude marginalised groups from opportunities for advancement. This raises concerns for young people, particularly those with ambitions and qualifications that could effectively function on these boards.
Regrettably, the government’s institutional integrity can right away begin to deteriorate. Appointing relatives can cause conflicts of interest, reduce accountability, and compromise decision-making, hindering effective governance and policy implementation. Vincentians should remember they voted against this.
The leaked list of government board members under this NDP government can pose serious risks to democratic values such as meritocracy, public trust, and institutional integrity. The current administration should learn from past administrations’ experiences with nepotism and implement transparent merit-based systems to uphold democratic principles in SVG.