Well-known farmer Anton ‘Tookie’ Bowman is of the view that the Unity Labour Party (ULP) will win an unprecedented sixth consecutive term in office because the people are failing to stand up against the government’s actions, such as the 30-year lease of lands to St Lucia-based Rayneau Group for stone mining operations at Richmond, North Leeward.
Bowman made a call for action while calling to the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP’S) New Times interactive programme on NICE Radio on Monday.
‘Doc, all of us are calling for fresh elections, how are we going to get it?” Bowman posed a question to Leader of the Opposition and party president Dr Godwin Friday who was a guest on the programme.
“We have to keep demanding it because the point of the matter is: those persons in government now when they were in a similar situation they talked about the undemocratic situation where you have government didn’t have the majority of the people. That’s fundamentally the same here now. And more than that, the people of the country are recognizing every day that the government is not working in their best interest.
“They are the ones who elect governments. They are the ones who put people in office. They have to demand very loudly and clearly and say ‘listen, we are not going anywhere you know, let us have a different dispensation in this country,’ Dr Friday replied.
Bowman said he remembered many years ago when he was very active an older person said: “Talk and nah do nah do nothing” (meaning words without action will get you nowhere).
“So, we have to do something about it. And we need action. We need action now otherwise they will continue like that. The five years (in office) will go and then they will use the same strategy, they will be back there again and we will all suffer again all down the line.
“So, there’s a lot of talks but there is no action. And I think we need some action,’ Bowman said.
Dr Friday replied: “Well, Tookie I’ve been acting. I’ve been doing whatever we have to do. We stand up in the streets of Kingstown and we called on people to make their voices heard.
And this why I said every one of us – not just some,” Dr Friday said.
Bowman said every able-bodied person need to stand up against what the government is doing.
Dr Friday said that to keep democracy alive, when people see wrong being done they need to stand up and denounce it.
“Yes, you have to do the action. And since we’ve been talking about this thing in Richmond and what’s not, all I been hearing is talk. I’m not seeing any action,” Bowman said.
The ULP was elected to office in March 2001 in a 12-3 landslide victory, ending the New Democratic Party’s 17-year reign.
