Author: Dr Doris Frederick

Why was it necessary for a ratification of a lease between the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the Canouan Resorts? Could such an act on the part of the then government embolden subsequent administrations to sell Canouan outright? Is there any danger of Canouan being allowed to secede from the governance of St. Vincent and the Grenadines? True, in October 2025, a Canadian firm proposed a new governance structure for the island. Internal governance of Canouan is critical to this entire process. Will the governance of Canouan remain under the national government of St. Vincent and the…

National Liberation Speech to the nation Introduction A very pleasant day to all. Happy Independence. Let me thank all of you, fellow Vincentians who continue to support the sustained initiatives organized so far by the National Liberation Movement (NLM) of which I am the proposed Leader. As we approach the upcoming general election, we need you to hear us as we offer ourselves as an alternative party of choice in the upcoming general election. True, we do not know the exact date for the election but we know that it is inevitable. This is a moment in our history for…

On the point of fact and law On the point of fact and law, all states are sovereign, independent of each other and are foreign to each other. This is what has been taught in constitutional law to students of the law. The concept of sovereignty must be discussed. It posits that every recognizable state is considered as equal, autonomous, independent and will function without any external interference within the ambit of international relations. See the Treaty of Westphalia for further reading about the principle of non-interference by states into another state’s internal affairs. If there is honesty and an…

Continuing from our previous conversations on … Any citizen has the right to hold dual citizenship. But based on my findings here are some observations: 26. (1) Disqualification for Representatives and senators (hereinafter in this section referred to as a member) if he:- (a) is by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state; It is more than a presumption outright that once a person is … “under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state…” that he/she has applied for and will normally…

Fellow Vincentians and other Citizens, St. VIncent and the Grenadines welcomes another political party with the sole aim of governance by the people for the people. The National Liberation Movement (NLM) was established by a group of concerned citizens in 2022. Its genesis was derived from a rich heritage of progressive interventions in national, political and social unrest prevalent at the time. While there appeared to be a lull in public social unrest sometime thereafter, there was public disquiet about partisan politics within the country. There was a call for change in the way we ‘do politics’. Positioned against the backdrop…

We have come to an age when there are several questions that must be asked in relation to a political leader’s awareness as to what he is as a man and his influences on the “happenings” within the landscape of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. For instance, questions like, what contribution can I make as a real man with an aim towards genuine political leadership. The other question might be, is this the right time to call for an election wherein I can give of my best towards the governance of a country that is at a tipping point? As…

A great memory and the common sense approach towards using such a memory is probably one of the most significant traits of leaders but more so, a political leader. While it is true that planning is one of the attributes of a great leader coupled with such other necessary leadership skills, these must be ‘pivotal’ to the governance structure of an excellent political system. Merely having a good memory is not a core leadership competence but it is necessary. Remember Winston Churchill? It is said that he had a photographic memory so much so that he was known to spend…

We might think that this is a joke but political leaders need to understand public sentiments. Here is the thing, if many more of them do, then there will not be such a crisis in governance as it is known today. I recall reading about one of the great leaders of this world who has been around for some time. He was a former president of the United States – the 32nd President: Franklin D. Roosevelt. In his inaugural speech, he was noted as saying this, “ the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” For many, there…

One cannot underestimate the political leader’s ability to be able to plan and to do so as meticulously as possible. If Moltke were to be considered correct, then only few plans would last beyond their initial contact with the so – called enemies of war. Quintin Barry in analyzing leadership drew on the example of Moltke and his generals. Here was the newly assigned Chief of the Prussian General Staff. The war was long and men were tired. They had fought for more than forty years. However, a decade plus Moltke did bring his army to the forefront and it…

Political leadership of this nation is in crisis. Political leadership in a so called democratic post emancipation small island developing state is under severe scrutiny. I am thinking that since the evolution of our nation state, there has been a question as to what are the elements that shape and reshape our thinking of what constitutes political leadership. Ask the school child if you dare and that old gentleman who sits in the rum shop in rural St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I did. They told me not what I wanted to hear, but what it meant for them. There…