The National Newspaper of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
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FRIDAY,
JANUARY 15, 2016
VOLUME 110, No.02
www.thevincentian.com
EC$1.50
EUSTACE RESPONDS TO FIRE BLAME by DAYLE DASILVA
LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION New Democratic Party, Arnhim Eustace, said that he is satisfied that Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves was squarely putting the blame for last week’s fire on the New Democratic Party (NDP). The fire referred to broke out at the premises of the Public Works compound at Arnos Vale, during the early hours of the morning of December 7, destroying approximately EC$1.3 million worth of lumber and galvanize sheeting imported for use on the ‘Lives to Live’ programme, and for distribution to persons who had their homes destroyed during the natural disasters dating back to Hurricane Tomas in 2010, according to official sources. Speaking to the press last week Thursday, Gonsalves said that the police had indicated to him that there was sufficient evidence to suggest arson. He added that the fire had taken place within a context that the opposition was not prepared to accept defeat at the December 9 polls; and that opposition members were “engendering antigovernment and antiSupervisor of Elections
Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister, spoke of the manufacturing of a ‘context’ that could encourage unlawful acts. sentiments.” He continued, “I cannot accuse the opposition for the fire. I will never do that, and no one can do so, but will say that a context is being manufactured in which this kind of behaviour is being accorded a veneer of legitimacy,” Gonsalves said. “And this fire takes place in the context of persons who are clearly eager to set fires,” he said, making reference to the two attempts to firebomb VINLEC’s head office in Kingstown. Gonsalves espoused that if a context was being manufactured and certain elements believed the falsehood that was being propagated, then they would feel motivated to commit
unlawful acts. But Eustace responded on Monday when he called into the ‘New Times’ programme aired on NICE Radio, asking the question - Who had the most to gain by the fire? “Who has the most to gain? Who will want to destroy any document of bribery as related to the last general election? Who benefit from that fire? Therefore, I don’t think that Gonsalves’ views on this latest fire has any weight on this matter, because he has lost legitimacy at home, and has reduced St Vincent and the Grenadines to being a laughingstock abroad.” According to Eustace, there were other fires that occurred before, including the ones at the former electoral and treasury offices, and a section of the Administrative Building (Financial Complex) where information dealing with the 2010 census was being stored. “…and up to this day, we have not heard anything about the cause of these fires,” he said.
Arnhim Eustace, Leader of the NDP, has called out the Prime Minister as having put blame on the NDP for the Public Works fire.
The fire at the Public Works compound in which in a large quantity of building materials was destroyed.