Former Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition, Ralph Gonsalves, has launched a scathing critique of the newly elected administration, labeling the four-month-old government a “mockery” and a “total embarrassment”. In a comprehensive takedown of the administration’s recent actions, Gonsalves highlighted a series of diplomatic missteps, economic stagnation, and highly questionable domestic policies.
A central focal point of Gonsalves’ criticism was a recent diplomatic mission to Taiwan led by Minister St. Clair Leacock, alongside Senator King and Chevon John, which Gonsalves described as an “ill-prepared” and “embarrassing visit”. He heavily criticized the delegation for treating the mission as a purely transactional trip for vehicles, only to return holding a press conference without being able to confirm if they secured any vehicles at all.
Furthermore, Gonsalves accused the delegation of severe breaches in diplomatic protocol. He noted that Minister Leacock inappropriately used a formal courtesy call with the Taiwanese President to bring up funding for a Constituency Development Fund—a move Gonsalves said would make Taiwanese professionals “cringe”. “Diplomacy is an art and a science, you know, and everybody thinks that he or she could do it if they don’t study it,” Gonsalves stated.
The opposition leader also ridiculed Senator King for attempting to establish bilateral cooperation on a “digital wallet,” pointing out that such technological currency platforms are exclusively under the purview of the Monetary Council of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union. Gonsalves dismissed the entire diplomatic showing as “school boyish” and “amateur hour”.
On the domestic front, Gonsalves accused the government of avoiding its legislative duties, pointing out that there were no parliamentary meetings held for the balance of February or the entirety of March.
He also took aim at a proposal by Minister Leacock to grant powers of arrest to members of the cadet corps. Gonsalves sharply condemned the idea, stating that it was not discussed with the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police, or the Director of Public Prosecutions. He dismissed the proposal as “wrong in law, discipline, and practice” and a fundamentally “bad idea”.
Additionally, Gonsalves raised legal alarms over the government’s decision to halt payments and the issuance of deeds for state lands that were distributed to citizens under his administration. He argued that refusing to accept payments for legally binding offer letters based on political suspicions is “wrong in principle and wrong in law,” and urged affected citizens to seek legal counsel.
Gonsalves pointed to a rapidly stalling economy under the new government. Referencing the traditionally busy period leading up to the Easter weekend, Gonsalves noted that Kingstown currently looks like a “ghost town,” with businesses struggling and minibus operators unable to secure enough passengers to cover their trips.
He also placed the blame for recent delays in the Taiwanese-funded acute care hospital project squarely on the new administration. While the government claimed the project was delayed by eight months under his tenure, Gonsalves insisted it was only four to five months behind schedule when he left office, due to supply chain and labor issues.
He alleged that the current delays are a result of the new government failing to process interim payment certificates for the contractors on a timely basis, further exacerbating the country’s domestic struggles.