– Ahead of Airport Completion.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves is hinting at calling the next general elections earlier than the constitutionally due date of December 2015. Gonsalves says he has considered the idea of calling the polls ahead of the completion of the Argyle International Airport, scheduled for mid-2015. This move comes after constant criticism from members of the opposition, a stance very similar to that of his counterpart, Donald Ramotar, President of Guyana.
Prime Minister Gonsalves had previously said that he would not call the election before the completion of the airport, which state officials have now said would be “substantially complete” by the end of this year. But Gonsalves told a news conference that if the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) continues to “humbug me”, he would much call the elections and ask the electorate to decide who they want to finish the EC$700 million (One EC dollar =US$0.37 cents) airport, which has been under construction since 2008.
He said if the voters agree it should be Eustace, he would go to a place in eastern Kingstown where he has his private residence and enjoy himself “like a Rasta man up there,” to much laughter. Gonsalves said that he might even surprise his party’s general secretary, Julian Francis, with the announcement of the election date.
“I’ll take the letter, handwritten, up to the Governor General and let him write a handwritten one with the dissolution of Parliament,” Gonsalves said. In the lead up to the 2010 general elections, Eustace said that Gonsalves would have announced December 15 as the election date for the last elections. But Gonsalves later announced December 13 as the date. Gonsalves’ Unity Labour Party won the 2010 poll, eight seats to the NDP’s seven, to secure a third consecutive term in office.
Extracted and modified from Caribbean 360
