FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026
VOLUME 120, No. 16
Gonsalves back in court Page 4
www.thevincentian.com
Taiwan-SVG feature Page 11
Great Escape launched Pages 12&13
TSSS alumni saddened Page 14
EC$1.50
Soufrière quiet Page 24
BILLS TO AMEND THE RPA:
FOCUS ON THE GG members from facing election lawsuits, could well place the also recently installed Governor General, His Excellency Stanley John KC, in an awkward position. The procedure is that when bills are brought before the parliament and they are passed, to become law they must be assented to by the Governor General. Questions have been raised here, not least from the office of the Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Ralph Gonslaves, with respect to whether the Governor General would assent to such bills since, according to the Leader of the Opposition, to do so would be a “usurpation of constitutional order and the rule of law.” The Opposition Leader went one step further and called on the Governor General to “… indicate to the public that he would not give ascent to His Excellency Mr. Stanley Kendrick these bills if they are passed.” John, KC, Governor General of St. That said, he went on record as Vincent and the Grenadines, will have saying that he did not believe that a to weigh the obligations of his office Governor General would allow himself against what is presented as the to become “complicit” in such action by democratic will of the people. a government, and warned that if His Excellency Stanley John KC did not INTENTION BY THE NEW DEMOCRATIC act as “we expect him to,” that “it will PARTY (NDP) Government, into its fifth compromise the office of the Governor month in office, to amend, with retroactive application, the Constitution General.” and the Representation of the People’s Act (RPA), allegedly to protect two of its Real Intent
However, a statement by Government Senator Jemalie John on Wednesday, sought to clarify government’s intention in proposing to amend the RPA. Senator John stated that the proposed amendments had to do with correcting certain “ambiguities”, for example the use of “foreign power of state” in the existing legislation. The amendment, Senator John explained, among other things, would rule out a Commonwealth Country being classified as a ‘foreign power of state. In effect, the senator seemed to imply, was that there was nothing sinister or wrong about the proposed amendments. According to him, the passage of the bills will not affect what is already in train in the courts. Election petitions have already been filed in the High Court here naming Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday and Foreign Affairs Minister Fitzgerald Bramble as the targets, and seeking to have them ruled, under the existing legislation, ineligible to contest general elections here given that they both hold Canadian citizenship. Dr. Friday and Bramble were both returned as representatives of the Northern Grenadines and East Kingstown constituencies respectively, at the polls of November 27, 2026; Dr. Friday for a sixth time and Bramble
Not for the first time, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves finds himself at variance with Stanley “Stalky” John but this time each public figure occupies different state appointed positions. for a second term. Hearing of the petitions was set by Justice Gertel Thom for July 27 to 29, 2026. Continued on Page 3.
ANOTHER SHOOTING SPATE: POLICE ASKING FOR HELP THE ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES constabulary is appealing to persons with information with respect to three recent murders, to contact the CID, Major Crimes Unit, the nearest Police station, or Police Control. Enrique ‘Shoubu”
John, aged 29, Raheem Guy 22, and Perrance Matthews, 19 were killed over a three-day span. They were all residents of the Central Leeward Town of Layou. John and Guy died last week Friday April 10, during a brazen daylight shooting
incident. John is said to have been shot and died inside a shop at the Russell’s Mall, and Guy was shot and killed on the sidewalk outside the Caribbean Medical Imaging Centre. Continued on Page 3.
Enrique ‘Shoubu” John – dead at 29.
Raheem Guy – dead at aged 22.
Perrance Matthews – gone by 19.