Opposition Leader Ralph Gonsalves on Monday has expressed strong sentiment that the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are experiencing outcomes they did not intend when they voted for the current government.
He argues that many voters feel they were “given a six for a nine,” implying they were deceived during the election.
Gonsalves asks rhetorically if the people elected the government to remove Cuban doctors and medical personnel, only to have them replaced by “the dregs” (refugees and deportees) that the United States no longer wants. He questions if the voters chose a path that would lead to a badly affected health system.
The Opposition leader questioned if voters intended to support Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs. He argues these programs “devalue” the Vincentian passport by selling it to “vagabonds,” which ultimately leads to regular citizens losing visa-free travel status to places like the UK and the European Union.
A major point of contention is whether the public voted for a Prime Minister and Foreign Minister who hold Canadian citizenship and passports. The former PM said that having leaders with “allegiance to another country” is inherently wrong and questions if this is what “Vincentians selected the government for”.
Gonsalves asserts that the government is leading the country down a “path of scarcity” rather than the “abundance” promised. He cites complaints from vendors who say they are no longer making money and ordinary citizens who are struggling with high costs and a “dead” city.
Gonsalves stated that even “decent people who voted NDP” are now expressing disappointment and turning against the government because they do not like the current behavior or the lack of performance.
While he acknowledges that the government told the people they would pursue certain legal matters, he argues that the broader social and economic consequences were not what the people voted for or expected.