St. Vincent PM says respect due to King Charles despite country’s republican stance

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says his opposition to the British monarchy as sovereign of St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not mean that he should disrespect King Charles.

He made the point as he responded to opposition lawmaker St. Clair Leacock, who said Gonsalves meeting with the king in Scotland on Saturday showed “barefacedness.”

“I saw a picture with Ralph, and — let me be circumspect — the king in England and I didn’t know who was who,” Leacock said Monday on New Times, his party’s program on NICE Radio.

“Ralph’s presence in England on the weekend to meet the King of England is the highest, most demonstrative level of political fraud ever seen or heard in my lifetime. It will be difficult to see more barefacedness than that,” he added.

However, Gonsalves said that Leacock was engaged in “loose talk.”

- Advertisement -

“And he gets looser by the day and apparently a long period in opposition has certainly addled his brain,” said the prime minister whose Unity Labour Party has been in office for 21 consecutive years.

“It is well known, and King Charles himself knows, that I am not in favor of a monarchical system for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and I am not in favor of a British or foreign person to be head of state of our country,” he said, noting that this did not mean he must not communicate with the sovereign. “[But] I have to have the respect.”

“So not because I am not in favor of a monarchical system, I’m just going to be disrespectful to the king or to the British monarch. That’s imbecilic; it’s infantile.”

Gonsalves further noted that the king is the titular head of the Commonwealth, in addition to being monarch for the country, with the governor general as his representative.

“The Commonwealth is important to him, and he has said that publicly and St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a member of the Commonwealth,” he said.

In a 2009 referendum, Gonsalves’ government failed to convince the electorate to remove the British monarch as head of state in favor of a non-executive president.

CMC/

 

More Stories

Vishnu Dhanpaul Trinidad cabinet

New Trinidad PM Stuart Young announces new cabinet appointments

Newly-appointed Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Stuart Young has unveiled his Cabinet, introducing several new appointments while retaining many key ministers. The official announcement...
Bahamas Health Minister

Bahamas Health Minister defends Cuban health workers amid US criticism

Health Minister Dr. Michael Darville has defended the presence of Cuban health workers in The Bahamas, emphasizing their crucial role in the country’s optometry...
Trinidad Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley

Dr. Keith Rowley calls for Trinidad to leave Privy Council in final address as PM

Former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley used his final address in office to make a passionate case for Trinidad and Tobago’s exit from the...
Stuart Young

Stuart Young sworn in as Trinidad and Tobago’s 8th Prime Minister

In a historic ceremony at the President's House this morning, Stuart Young was sworn in as the 8th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago,...
Horace Chang Jamaica

Jamaica on track for historic low murder rate, says Minister Chang

Jamaica could be on track to record fewer than 1,000 murders in a single year for the first time in recent history, as the...
Guyana G7

G7 condemns Venezuela’s naval threats against Guyana

The G7 nations have issued a strong rebuke to Venezuela over its continued naval incursions into Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), calling them “unacceptable”...
Audrey Marks, Delano Seiveright

Senators Audrey Marks, Delano Seiveright appointed to ministerial roles

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness has appointed two newly sworn-in government senators, Audrey Marks and Delano Seiveright, to ministerial positions, reinforcing his Administration’s focus...
Antigua and Barbuda says it will accept nationals deported from the US

Antigua and Barbuda seeks clarification on draft US travel ban proposal

The government of Antigua and Barbuda has formally sought clarification from the United States following reports that the Caribbean nation could be among the...
Andrew Holness

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness hints at election announcement ‘very soon’

Jamaica's Prime Minister Andrew Holness has hinted that the countdown to general elections has begun, telling supporters that “every Jamaican will be called upon...
Marco Rubio

US applauds Belize’s democratic elections, pledges continued partnership

The United States has congratulated Prime Minister John Briceño on his re-election, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with Belize. In an official statement,...

Latest Articles

Skip to content