St Vincent and Grenadines' top cop pleased with election campaign

Ivan O'Neal of the Green Party	Dr Ralph Gonzales of the Unity Labour Party	Archie Eustace of the New Democratic Party

by Norman 'Gus' Thomas 
Caribbean Net News Senior Correspondent on assignment
Hotline: (784) 495-9000
E-mail: norman@caribbeannetnews.com

Monday,  December 5, 2005

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent: St. Vincent and the Grenadines Commissioner of Police Keith Miller, in an exclusive interview with Caribbean Net News, said electioneering in St. Vincent and the Grenadines ought not be compared with some happenings in other Caribbean countries at election time. 

Miller was at the time making reference to the behaviour of the electorate as the election campaign reaches fever-pitch levels ahead of Wednesday's poll. 

"The crowds are large yes, the people are turning out to the respective meetings but we have not had any real serious problems. There have been cases where there is the jeering and heckling and the pulling down of party posters but that is to be expected in an election campaign, but I want to repeat that we have not had any real serious problems and I hope this disciplined way of behaving continues right up to polling day and beyond." 

As far as being prepared for any eventuality, Miller pointed out that it is normal for the force to have a contingency plan in place for large events such as elections and "therefore we have a plan in place for Polling Day and post polling day and as such we have beefed-up our manpower especially as there has been a number of shows involving foreign acts, non-St. Vincent and the Grenadines artists from Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. These music stars were brought by the political parties and these artists pull huge crowds so we in the police force make sure that we are fully ready for these things," Miller said. 

Meanwhile all systems are ready for Wednesday's poll as some 91,023 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots at 224 polling stations across the country, for 34 candidates representing three political parties, The New Democratic Party (NDP) of Minority Leader, Arnhim Eustace; the incumbent Unity Labour Party (ULP) of Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, and The Green Party of Ivan O'Neal. 

That's the word from the country's Supervisor of Elections, Rodney Adams in a Caribbean Net News exclusive. 

Adams pointed that a "high-powered" campaign is now in full swing and that voting will take place on the mainland as well as on the inhabited islands of Canouan, Bequia, Palm Island, Mustique, Mayreau, in the Grenadines chain of islands. 

The Supervisor of Elections also confirmed that two observer teams will be monitoring Wednesday's poll.

The Assistant Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin of the Organization of American States (OAS) is heading the organisation's observation team and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) also has an observer team on the ground here. 

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