IN A stunning reversal of political fortunes, the Vincentian government of Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves lost Wednesday’s national referendum for a new post-independence constitution and left the victorious opposition calling, in joyful mood, for an early general election.
Not only did Gonsalves’ ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) failed to achieve the required 67 percent, or two thirds “yes” vote – an achievement he had personally likened to “a Mount Everest challenge”.
His party surprisingly fell below 50 percent of the popular votes cast, securing 22,493, or approximately 45 percent.
In contrast, the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) of Arnhim Eustace, which had campaigned for a “no vote” against the proposed new constitution, won 29,019 votes–an estimated 55 percent of the eligible 97,751 electorate.
But Gonsalves lost no time in declaring that while “respecting the decision of the electorate in voting against the need for a new constitution, this should not be interpreted as a vote against my government since our record of achievements and policies were not issues on which we campaigned for a ‘yes’ vote.
‘NO EARLY POLL’
“That argument”, he said, “will come at the next general election and I have no intention to rush into calling an early one as I expect the NDP will be seeking.”
Approximately 46,239 voters did not bother to cast their ballots on Wednesday – a significant percentage said to be traditional ULP supporters..
Shortly before 11 o’clock on Wednesday night when Supervisor of Elections Sylvia Findlay-Scrubb, disclosed the results they strikingly contrasted with the outcome of the last general election of December 2005.
Then, Gonsalves’ incumbent UPP had retained power for a second term by winning 12 of the 15 constituencies with 31,848 votes, or 55.26 percent of the popular votes.
Eustaces’ NDP secured the remaining three seats with 25,748 votes or 44.68 percent.
At Wednesday’s referendum, the NDP’s “no vote” campaign delivered victory in 13 of the 15 polling divisions with Gonsalves and his ULP colleague, Burton Williams, being the only two to convincingly survive that political indignity..
Of course, the arithmetic of the referendum votes cannot objectively be assessed in terms of just ‘yes’, or ‘no’ for a new constitution after 30 years of independence from Britain.
The referendum proved to be the occasion for Vincentians to also express underlying, critical concerns over social and economic problems that extended to negative economic growth over the past two years; rising unemployment, currently estimated at over 20 percent; and a rising cost of living, aggravated by the global financial and economic crisis.
Both Gonsalves and Eustace were prepared to admit, though in different terms, to social and economic factors – in addition to the politics of constitutional reform – that would have impacted on the referendum verdict.
But Eustace, with eyes wide open and heart pounding in excitement for
a change in government, has blamed the government’s fiscal and economic policies, as well as “political arrogance” for the referendum defeat.
“Now”, he has alerted, “we will be mobilising for an early election that we expect to win”.
Although under the existing constitution Prime Minister Gonsalves can
call an election any time, he has until March 2011 to do so.
