NDP Convention 2010

I listen with intent to most of the speakers that make presentation at the New Democratic Party (N.D.P) convention on Sunday 11th July 2010. I must say that the convention was a well planned function, a sign of the brilliant leadership that is exhibited in Mr. Arnhem Eustace. I enjoy the presentations that were made. I particularly like Burton Williams presentation; however I was disturbed with his choice of words; when he used the word batty, which when used in our Vincentian/Caribbean context is seen as obscene and vulgar but which has a completely different meaning from the contextual way it is commonly used in St. Vincent.

The first question that came to my mind is; is Burton Williams trying to resurrect the old politics for which he was booted out of his elected office for. Mr. Williams please remember, you are now under new leadership, and in a new political era, in this early stage of the game you cannot afford to be suffering relapses such as the one you had on the day of the N.D.P convention 2010. You are a likable man and you have more political experience than most in the party so you have to be an example to those who are politically younger then you are.

Please remember that Arnhem Eustace has been consistent with his message, attitude, behavior and his vocal expression; in doing so he has risen the political standard of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Burton I give you the benefit of the doubt that this error is just that, an error and not an attitude. Please remember this is not the error of continued apologies, this is an era where men are called upon to live their conviction.

The Leader’s Address:

Unfortunately I did not hear the presentation that was made by the leader of the opposition and the leader of the N.D.P. However someone provided me with a copy of bosses speech. I took my time and I read with interest. In my opinion it is a shorten version of what is to be a powerful manifesto.

It was disturbing to know that although Ralph Gonsalves is going around beating his chest about Education Revolution that the plans he is implementing is a program that was design, by, for and is being implemented by the all O.E.C.S countries, in their effort to create universal access for secondary education. Ralph Gonsalves did not even had the common sense or the decency to change the package in which the program was presented; thus improving the commodity but choose only the change the term by which it is commonly known and sold the program to us as a fresh idea that came from his mind.

I was shock to learn of the high dropout rate and the poor graduation rate that exist within the secondary school community and we are not speaking of the overwhelming number who never made it into the secondary school system. It is also sad to know that the only thing that we export is food and we are importing three times more food than we export. So when we compare the total export earning with the import spending there must be a gaping deficit and as a result the country may very well be accumulating massive foreign debts.

When I see how Arnhem Eustace plan to raise funds to settle the local debt the government have accumulated, which will encourage reinvestment and thus employment, all in an effort to stimulate the economy and in the process encourage economic growth, amazes me. The simple yet feasible plan to give a fresh boos to agriculture and tourism.

So while Ralph Gonsalves is appealing to the eyes of the community, in his effort fool the people by showing off the community centers that they have built all over the country, with no sustainable plan or financing for those projects which is causing the country is falling even further into economic hardship; hurts my heart. There is hope all is not yet lost; we have a leader in Arnhem Eustace, a leader who is looking for creative ways of repairing the damage that Ralph Gonsalves and his U.L.P has created and is creating even now.

                                                                                            Distress sign

But what is even more shameful; is the fact that the only viable commercial entity that the nation has: The National Bank namely: the National Commercial Bank was ran aground by the destructive, interrupting leadership of Ralph Gonsalves. It is clear that Ralph had taken state resources and treats it as if it is his own. He must be blame for the destruction of the nation’s bank. I must say anyone who work in that institution and stood by silence without raising an objective voice is also to be blame for the demise of the Bank. There are some things that is more important than a pay cheque; such things like integrity, honesty and courage to stand up when you see wrong, injustice and corruption.