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St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and his wife Eloise. - ST VINCENT and the Grenadines (SVG) Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has issued a stern warning to Trinidad and Tobago nationals to stay out of his country's political affairs.
He accused SVG's opposition – the New Democratic Party (NDP) of seeking the help of TT nationals, lawyers in particular, to try and "rig" the general election on November 27.
At a youth rally of his Unity Labour Party (ULP) at Richmond Hill Playing Field on November 23, Gonsalves told supporters that at least eight lawyers and activists from TT had arrived in SVG to campaign for the opposition NDP.
He further claimed a lawyer, "of no political significance," from the NDP had gone to pick up the Trinis to work between now and election day.
"The first thing I say, lawyers, you come here to work? You either have to get a work permit or you have to have a Caricom skills national certificate, which is approved by the government...the issuance of which is approved by the government of SVG," Gonsalves said.
"So if you come here and do any work for the NDP, you are working here illegally! That is a criminal offence."
The meeting was streamed live on Gonsalves' Facebook page and covered by several media outlets, including CMC (Caribbean Media Corporation).
Gonsalves, 79, is seeking an unprecedented sixth consecutive term in office. On the platform, he identified the TT lawyers by name and vowed to put their photographs online.
He said it is for the people of SVG to see those who are coming from TT to interfere, to try in some way to distort and undermine "our electoral democracy and prevent the necessary and desirable victory on Thursday."
He called on the SVG people to welcome them with "labour love."
'ST VINCENT IS NOT PENAL'
Gonsalves warned that those who are not from SVG cannot "come around our polling stations to say they are going to do this or do that."
"St Vincent and the Grenadines is not Tunapuna, is not Curepe, is not Penal, is not San Fernando, is not Morvant, it is not Laventille!"
He repeatedly criticised the opposition NDP for engaging in "that kind of low-down worthlessness" and behaving with "bad-mindedness against everything progressive and good this government has tried to do since 2001."
Saying he was serving notice on the TT lawyers, Gonsalves insisted that foreign nationals must comply with SVG laws.
"If they were from Barbados, Dominica, or Belize, where we signed on to complete movement and freedom, then you could have come and work without a Caricom national certificate," Gonsalves said. "I am telling you...the law you know. You are lawyers, you should know it."
TT is not a signatory to the free movement agreement signed by four Caricom countries, including SVG, in October.
Gonsalves said he already knew the NDP's defence. "They ain't coming to work, they come to help. Apart from the law, I am saying to them politically, their involvement here is unacceptable. And those who have received them, and those in Trinidad who send them, I am warning them that they cannot function in SVG without all the legal requisites (being) complied with," Gonsalves added.
Gonsalves also identified what he called "relatively low-level entertainers" and activists from TT who he said were also set to visit SVG to campaign against his administration. He added: "they saw the wisdom of not setting foot on the soil."
He identified John Michael Alibocas, aka Makamillion, as "the leader of the pack." Alibocas, the councillor for Marabella West, recently sparked controversy after he was seen in a video performing in St Lucia while wearing a UNC t-shirt.
He was also promoting UNC's slogan "Yellow is the code", while endorsing St Lucia's opposition leader Allen Chastanet.
The councillor later suggested he had been mandated to travel to St Lucia and SVG to spread political messages. St Lucia's election is set for December 1.
RALPH: I DON'T LIKE YELLOW
Gonsalves threw political jabs at the UNC-led TT government, saying the messages were not based on the commonality of policy, but on the colour yellow – a colour he does not like.
"Imagine that is where politics has reached now in the Caribbean."
The Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led government has since distanced itself from claims of it "mandating" anyone to go anywhere including to St Lucia or SVG.
"She (Persad-Bissessar) says she ain't interfering in anybody else's election. And I thank her for saying that, and I believe her, because I think she's an honest woman. I believe in her honesty," Gonsalves told supporters.
"So I don't know who UNC financiers sent this other lot to come to St Vincent because they want cheap land, and they want the port, and they want a hospital that they want privatised." He accused the NDP of being "passport-sellers."
"Believe me, you have to express your disgust with the selling-out of our country, of our patrimony, and the selling out of young people. It is in your interest to save your country," he urged supporters.
He also criticised the TT government's support of US military action in the Caribbean, warning that such a stance could destabilise the region.
Gonsalves made TT news recently when on his "Doubles and Coffee" online blog, senator and Minister in the Housing Ministry Anil Roberts revealed that Gonsalves, his wife Eloise and their children Storm and Soleil all benefited from "PNM favours" in the acquisition of three apartments at the upscale HDC development known as Victoria Keyes in Diego Martin.
Roberts also accused Gonsalves of failing to declare his and his family's interests, suggesting the transactions were politically motivated.
Gonsalves fired back saying his wife and children are TT citizens and therefore were entitled to buy HDC market-rate properties.
Gonsalves insisted neither he, his wife, nor their children had done anything corrupt, improper or immoral. He has described Roberts' claims as "political rants" and said he is seeking advice from his lawyers.
On November 27, SVG nationals will vote in a hotly contested general election which will see Gonsalves seeking an unprecedented sixth term as prime minister, having been in power since 2001.
Gonsalves has been married twice and is the husband of Eloise Harris. He has two sons by his first marriage – Camillo and Adam; one son by his second wife, Storm; and two daughters, Isis and Soleil. Camillo followed his father into politics and is currently serving as minister of finance.
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