By NAN Contributor
News Americas, KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Thurs. Dec. 10, 2015: Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of The Unity Labour Party (ULP) has been returned to a historic fourth term by the voters of the St. Vincent and The Grenadines.
Preliminary results as of late last night show The ULP retaining its 8 seat majority over 7 to the New Democratic Party (NDP) lead by Arnhim Eustace. The other two parties in the race failed to secure a seat.
“I am humbled and honored that the people of St. Vincent & the Grenadines embraced our bold vision for the future and rejected the politics of hate,” Gonslaves said in a statement. “We are looking into various issues in North Leeward and South Leeward and we are also calling for an immediate recount to ensure that all the votes are counted in those constituencies. There are more rejected ballots than the margin and those ballots should be examined closely to determine the intent of the voters,” he noted.
Results from polling stations show the ULP winning many of the polls in East Saint George, Marriqua and South Windward and North central Windward while the NDP won in North and South Leeward.
Some 89,000 voters had registered to vote in the election that saw a high voter turn out.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gonsalves or someone claiming to be him, was on the election live stream coverage Broadcasting Corporation as over 5,000 viewers logged on. He stated that told St. Vincent And The Grenadines Nationals will get two days off when the ULP wins.
But he and the opposition leader Arnhim Eustace, who was also listed as on the chat, got into a battle of words that quickly went downhill into the gutter of personal attacks that left many on the chat asking whether it was the real Gonsalves or Eustace.
To which Gonsalves restorted: “I assure you I’m authentic.”
The discourse then seemed to give others on the chat the incentive to also abuse others or raise personal issues with some calling Gonsalves a rapist and claiming he stole the election.
