Opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) senator Kay Bacchus-Baptiste has stated that three parliamentarians wanted to leave the Dr. Ralph Gonsalves-led Unity Labour Party (ULP) government and join the NDP but because of fear, they did not.
Senator Bacchus-Baptiste, a lawyer and current caretaker of the West St George constituency, made the claim public as she addressed a town hall meeting in Montreal, Canada, Friday night.
Bacchus-Baptiste did not state a timeline when the parliamentarians made their interest or desire known but she said three of them came separately and on different occasions and told her their intention. She said they, however, did not pursue the matter because they feared reprisals.
Bacchus-Baptiste did not disclose any identity of the parliamentarians she claimed wanted to cross over to the opposition party and she said she would not disclose whether any of them are from the current set of parliamentarians or from a previous set.
Bacchus-Baptiste made the claim as she spoke of fear pervading the land of St Vincent and the Grenadines under the ruling Unity Labour Party administration.
The opposition senator said that even Ralph Gonsalves himself has fear because he is tired and wants to go home but he says he is thinking of leading the party in the next elections, having said earlier that he would not be contesting the next elections as leader of the party.