St Vincent PM responds to Trinidad and Tobago critics

Dr Ralph Gonsalves

by Kenton Chance 
Caribbean Net News Correspondent

Wednesday, February 2, 2005

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent: Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, on Monday expressed amazement at being criticized -- locally and in Trinidad -- for last week leading a Trinidad and Tobago delegation to lobby for the establishment of the FTAA headquarters in Port of Spain.

He described the criticisms as “a clear example” of “learned helplessness”.

Dr. Gonsalves was criticised at home by the opposition New Democratic Party and in Trinidad and Tobago by the Opposition United National Congress (UNC).

The criticisms in Trinidad and Tobago, which a report in the Trinidad Guardian described as “severe” came from UNC chairman Wade Mark, who, according the Trinidad Guardian report, said Gonsalves’ action was inquisitive and intrusive and that he had no business lobbying on Trinidad and Tobago’s behalf. 

Dr. Gonsalves left St Vincent on January 25 and returned on January 29. During the trip overseas, he headed a five member Trinidad and Tobago mission to Colombia and Ecuador to lobby for Trinidad and Tobago to become the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Originally, the mission was intended to go to Bolivia but because of security concerns due to mass demonstrations over economic matters in that country this was postponed to a later date.

Miami is the principal competitor to Trinidad and Tobago in the bid to host the FTAA and noted that that North American city, whose governor, Jeb Bush, is the brother of US President George Bush, is using all its available resources.

Speaking at a press conference in St. Vincent on Monday, Gonsalves said, “The Caribbean never ceases to amaze me.”

He said while the political entities voiced their criticisms they ignored or down played the fact that Foreign Ministers had headed missions, which were sanctioned by CARICOM. 

“Now, if we can’t work together on matters like these why are we talking about CSME and regional integration if we are going to allow the partisan politics to pollute something which is regional and something which is patriotic?” 

Dr. Gonsalves further said that he thought that the Caribbean effort behind Trinidad and Tobago’s bid would have been applauded by all within the region. He said on the contrary, it seems as if some people cannot get rid of the chauvinism, which partisan politics in the islands seem to engender.

Gonsalves said when the UNC was in power it had expressed the desire for Trinidad and Tobago to host the FTAA headquarters and the succeeding PNM administration “took that ball and is running with it”.

Dr. Gonsalves added that the UNC in opposition should be very happy that other Caribbean countries are supporting Trinidad and Tobago’s bid.

Speaking to criticism on the local front, Gonsalves insinuated that rather than being critical of him, the Vincentian critics should have celebrated since, according to him, his heading the delegation “…lifts the prestige of the whole country (SVG), and show … the regional connections that we (SVG) have.”

Gonsalves expounded on the “clear example” of “learned helplessness”, the latter phrase a frequently used part of his vocabulary when referring to particular entities since his ascension to power four years ago. 

“When I talk about learned helplessness, this is a clear example of it …. This disease, this gospel, this evangelism of learned helplessness, and I use gospel and evangelism deliberately. It’s not that they are religious…. It’s just that those, who are embarking on it, embark on it with a religious fervour, as thought it is a gospel, as though it is evangelical work they are doing with it. So, I really have to express my real disappointment about that.”

Gonsalves reiterated that the Trinidad and Tobago government had decided to ask regional governments to assist in the lobbying efforts: 

“The governments of Barbados, Guyana, and the Bahamas lent their Foreign Ministers to three missions hitherto. It was felt by the government of Trinidad and Tobago that the Mission to Colombia, Ecuador and Bolivia should be led by me. They wanted to up the game at the Prime Ministerial level, and this was the convenient time.”

Prime Minister Gonsalves said that apart from other benefits nationals of St. Vincent and the Grenadines would have direct employment opportunities if Trinidad and Tobago is chosen. 

According to the report in the Trinidad Guardian, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Patrick Manning last week said there is nothing unusual in having Prime Minister Gonsalves lead a T&T delegation to lobby for the establishment of the FTAA headquarters in that country.

Manning last week Tuesday night said that Gonsalves was not the first prime minister from another country to do so. 

Manning told reporters in T&T that the Caricom heads of government had long ago committed themselves to Port-of-Spain as the headquarters of the FTAA. 

He said that as a consequence of this, a number of delegations had already been mounted by ministers and prime ministers of other countries in support of T&T’s candidacy. 

“The foreign minister of Barbados headed one delegation some time ago, the prime minister of Belize headed another one, and I think there is a third prime minister who may have headed a third delegation,” Manning said. 

“And this one, headed by the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, there is nothing unusual about it.” 

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