Ralph Gonsalves expressed deep concern regarding what he characterized as a rise in “political discrimination” and the “public and private bullying” of individuals in various administrative offices following the change in government.
On Monday Gonsalves emphasized that St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a “country of laws,” asserting that public administration must be governed by established rules rather than political whims.
Gonsalves reminded the current administration that high-ranking officials—such as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the Chief Personnel Officer, and the Cabinet Secretary—cannot be dismissed simply because of a change in political leadership. He noted that:
• These officials possess security of tenure under the country’s rules.
• They can only be terminated for criminality or misbehavior in public office, and even then, a specific legal procedure must be followed.
• While the government has the power to move permanent secretaries around, it cannot fire them without cause.
• He specifically criticized the Public Service Union and others for targeting the CMO and the Cabinet Secretary, calling such behavior “madness”.
Gonsalves contrasted the current atmosphere with his own entry into office in 2001. To prevent victimization, he purposefully retained secretaries who had worked for the previous Prime Minister (Sir James Mitchell) for over a decade. He also highlighted his professional relationship with Dr. Sinclair Thomas, a former NDP senator and minister, whom he kept as CMO until Thomas’s retirement.
The former pm raised a specific warning regarding the Police Service Commission and the appointment of former police officers to its board. He cautioned that a retired officer with past ambitions to be commissioner might attempt to “run the police force” from the commission, which could lead to chaos. Additionally, he criticized the re-entry of former politicians into the police force at elevated ranks, arguing that this practice undermines the public’s trust in the police as a non-political institution.
He characterized the dismissal of 180 workers from the housing program as a form of political “heaviness”. Gonsalves asserted that these workers were intended to be “ongoing” employees under the Unity Labour Party (ULP) administration, and their termination was a breach of that commitment. He urged the government to be transparent about their motives—such as cutting spending—rather than hiding behind metaphors of “lightness”.
Regarding the recall of ambassadors, Gonsalves distinguished between “political appointees” and “public servants”. While political appointees are expected to resign or be replaced, he argued that career public servants should be treated with a different procedure.
He specifically defended the professional contributions of individuals like Ronda King and the ambassador to Taiwan, urging the government to stop “denigrating” those who have served the country with distinction.