By Val Matthias. Updated 5:03 p.m., Monday, April 20, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Opposition Leader Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves has issued a call to action, warning Vincentians that neutrality in the face of constitutional crisis is unacceptable.
At a press conference, Gonsalves condemned the Government’s decision to table a retroactive constitutional amendment while election petitions are before the Court. The petitions challenge the eligibility of Dr. Godwin Friday and Mr. D. Fitzgerald Bramble under Section 26 of the Constitution, which bars individuals who have sworn allegiance to a foreign power from sitting in Parliament.
“This development is without precedent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,” Gonsalves said, stressing that the amendment was introduced with only one week’s notice, without public consultation, and without explanation from the Prime Minister or Attorney General. He warned that such a move risks interfering with judicial independence and undermines public confidence in the electoral process.
Framing the issue as one of public morality, Gonsalves said, “You can’t sit on the fence. The hottest part of hell, a resort for those who sit on the fence in times of great moral and constitutional crisis.”
He pointed to widespread public opinion on social media and radio, where many Vincentians at home and abroad have condemned the actions of Dr. Friday and the NDP as “entirely wrong and unacceptable.” Gonsalves urged that this wave of sentiment must be matched by intensified campaigns both online and on the ground.
Yet, Dr Gonsalves noted, some remain passive acknowledging wrongdoing but failing to act. To them, he issued a stern rebuke, warning that disengagement from the political process places the nation “on a road to ruination.”
“This is not a partisan appeal,” Gonsalves added. “It is an appeal to principle. If actions of this nature go unchallenged, they risk establishing a precedent by which any government, present or future, may endlessly revise our Constitution without public consultation for personal gain or protection.”
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