KINGSTOWN, St Vincent — The opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) in St Vincent and the Grenadines said it will continue with a series of massive protests right after Christmas over the outcome of the general elections on December 9, 2015, which it claims were not free or fair.
According to the NDP, as a result the country has an illegitimate government that it refuses to recognize.
Opposition leader Arnhim Eustace also announced what he described as two major developments.
“We have written to the OAS formally complaining about the illegitimate installment of Ralph Gonsalves as prime minister. We have asked for the use of the regional mechanism to ensure that democracy is saved and protected in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
“Secondly our first legal motions regarding these elections were filed in court on Wednesday December 16, 2015. We are moving to challenge these fraudulent elections in the court, where we are confident of legal redress; in the interim we will continue acts of civil disobedience, and non-recognition of this imposed regime,” Eustace said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves claimed that the NDP wants to carry out a coup d’état against a democratically elected government.
“I will never allow such to take place,” he said.
Gonsalves said at his swearing-in ceremony that the political responsibility of the prime minister is to ensure law and order is not undermined, and he takes that obligation seriously, and particularly where anyone seeks to subvert, the will of the people.
Speaking to party supporters at a victory rally, he stated that he would not allow the NDP to undermine the free and democratic institutions of this country.
Gonsalves called on the Christian Council to tell Eustace that he must accept his loss and, if he wants to use the court to challenge irregularities, to go and do so, because he did it in 2010 and lost every single case.
Gonsalves said the same language Eustace is using now is the same language he used in 2010.
He pointed out that his Unity Labour Party (ULP) got over 34,000 votes, while the NDP got over 30,000 — 3,000 more than the opposition got nationally.
Gonsalves said the ULP has the popular vote now and the NDP is in a weaker position than in 2010.
Gonsalves said leaders must be careful not to mislead people, and the NDP leadership is doing that right now. Gonsalves added that he has learnt that the opposition members will not be accepting any position.
“Well you are elected and you don’t want to come to parliament, I would bring a law early so that you would not get a salary,” Gonsalves said of the opposition members.