(CNW) – Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, leader of the Unity Labour Party (ULP) says the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) wants to bring criminals and vagabonds to run this country.
Dr Gonsalves made the assertion as he addressed his party’s 24th annual national convention at the Campden Park Secondary School last Sunday.
Dr Gonsalves told the convention that the NDP is hoping to employ Cambridge Analytica and Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) Group – a behavioural research and strategic communications consultancy that has a particular interest in the Citizen By Investment (CBI) programme which he and his government have been very critical of.
Dr Gonsalves has referred to SCL as “mind-benders.” He believes that as are due this year, the NDP will be utilizing SCL in their bid to win the elections.
The NDP has promised that, if successful in the upcoming elections, it will establish the CBI – a programme which has generated millions of dollars in revenue. But, Prime Minister Gonsalves has linked the proposed establishment of the programme to SCL. He has contended that this country does not have the capacity to conduct proper due diligence on persons from overseas seeking to invest here.
The CBI programme is established in other OECS countries and those countries have recorded revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Dr Gonsalves, however has said that his government has taken a principled position not to establish it here.
Dr Gonsalves told party supporters that this is their country and they “must not allow people like Alexander Nix” – a British businessman and former CEO of Cambridge Analytica and a former director of the Strategic Communication Laboratories Group – to come here to run it. He alleged that Nix had used derogatory language toward the people of the Caribbean.
“He has no respect for us, and these are the people that the NDP leadership, the NDP organization is associated with. And on their letterhead as SCL, a member of the advisory board, is James Mitchell.
You see how much they want our passports and the money for it? You see it? You see how they want to bring criminals and vagabonds to take over this country?” Dr Gonsalves said.
Dr Gonsalves said that Leader of the Opposition and NDP president Dr Godwin is taken each day of the week “like a lamb to the slaughter without any comprehension of this.”