Political Hypocrisy.
The hypocrisy of politicians is evident even to those who are blind. This has been particularly apparent from the opposition party (ULP) as it continues to experience the consequences of losing the last general elections.
This week, former Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves suddenly recognised constitutional violations, dictatorship practices, and the necessity of protests in a democracy. His views were met with scepticism, and Vincentians reminded him of the constitutional violations he oversaw, the dictatorial nature of his leadership, and the government’s suppression of protests during his 25 years in power. It is as if he believes that Vincentians are unaware of these issues.
The question now is where was his concern for the constitution during his 25 years in power when he allegedly disregarded it? How can Vincentians take his current calls for action seriously when his party and government were repeatedly prosecuted for violating constitutional laws and the rights of assembly?
Mr Gonsalves, it is important to remember that the draconian vaccine mandate lawsuit against your government is still ongoing. Furthermore, protesters such as Adrianna and Kenson King continue to experience the consequences of your party’s policies while they exercised their constitutional rights to assembly and protest.
While it is hypocritical for the opposition leader to denounce the proposed constitutional amendment and question its intentions, it is also a necessary form of scrutiny for Vincentian society. Such questioning is essential when it comes to government policies and laws.
Furthermore, the opposition leader’s level of opposition to the government of SVG has been beneficial and necessary. His calls for transparency and accountability from the Godwin Friday-led government serve the interests of the people and ensure the government remains in check and aligned with the constitution. Regrettably, this opposition is coming from someone who is hypocritical. It is uncertain how many other right-thinking Vincentians will join him on the protest lines.
On the other hand, the attacks against Ralph Gonsalves and the ULP for speaking out on government issues may be justified, but there is also some hypocrisy in this. The same level of opposition was meted out to the ULP when similar attempts to change constitutional laws were made.
This situation is concerning for NDP supporters who are now denouncing the ULP’s actions. Their argument that the opposition leader and his supporters should not act now or even say anything bad about what the NDP government is doing, because the ULP did it for 25 years, does not address the need for continued accountability and transparency in government. To avoid a repeat of the last 25 years of governance under Ralph Gonsalves, a significant paradigm shift is required in both thought and action. Vincentians, and more so supporters of the NDP, don’t just be blind followers of the government. Don’t just support policies and constitutional amendments for the sake of doing so. Instead, think critically about every government policy shared with the public and be analytical about your decision-making. For if you refuse to be this way now under an NDP government, it would also be hypocritical of you. Since you were always critical and analytical of the ULP government in the past.
Importantly, we face a conundrum that demands serious solutions. While the roles and functions of the Ralph Gonsalves-led opposition party are well-intentioned and aligned with democratic principles, they are undermined by the hypocrisy of its leader. This diminishes the opposition’s value and relevance to Vincentian society. Consequently, the government is able to exploit its 14:1 mandate if it wishes to do so.
Therefore, who will Vincentians turn to for an honest and trustworthy opposition to the NDP-led government? Should the opposition leader cease to be the leading figure of the next best alternative to the NDP and relinquish leadership to a young and emerging Vincentian who might be the attraction the public seeks? Alternatively, is the time ripe for a well-founded third party to contest future general elections?
Ultimately, someone must ensure the NDP government is held accountable to prevent the recurrence of the ULP’s 25-year tenure. The question is who will be willing to take on this challenge? Surely, the answer is not a hypocritical Unity Labour Party.