By Admin. Updated 5:55 a.m., and 8:27 a.m., Thursday, August 11, 2022, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Director of the Asset Recovery Unit (ARU) of the Regional Security System (RSS), Mr. Grenville T. Williams says he is ready to provide the leadership the South Leeward constituency needs.
In an exclusive interview with One News St. Vincent on August 10, 2022, Mr. Williams said he “certainly has an interest in representing the people of South Leeward on a political level.”
Mr. Williams, who hopes to get the nod to contest for the parliamentary seat on a Unity Labour Party – ULP ticket when the next general elections are held, said he had expressed his interest prior to the 2015 elections.
In 2014, Mr. Williams was unsuccessful in his bid to be a candidate for the ULP in 2015 general elections after going through the candidate selection process which ended in him nominating lawyer Jomo Thomas to be the candidate.
See – Supporters walk out as Williams nominates Thomas as S. Leeward candidate
Mr. Williams who was born and raised in the Questelles Bay area of South Leeward said that between the first time he expressed an interest to contest the South Leeward seat, to now, “I have been gaining experience regionally and internationally that I believe better prepare me to represent the people of South Leeward at the local, regional and international levels”.
“I think the people of South Leeward need someone who can address the domestic issues, but more importantly, the candidate should be able to represent them in the global platform,” Mr. Williams added.
Mr. Williams, who is the husband of renowned business leader – Shafia London-Williams said that anyone who wants to represent South Leeward must understand the people and listen to them.
“In South Leeward, I believe we need to pay attention to the needs and the wants of the people. Obviously, we cannot satisfy every need; we cannot satisfy every want. But anybody who has the interest of South Leeward at heart must go to the people, must engage with the people, must understand the people, and must listen to the people as to what are the areas that they see as important to focus on to improve the quality of their life,” Mr. Williams said.
He said that could mean improvement in the agricultural sector – giving persons better access roads, for example in the Vermont Valley. He spoke about the need to continue to offer people affordable and quality housing.
Mr. Williams acknowledged the work done on the South Leeward highway, but spoke about the need to improve the road infrastructure in South Leeward, specifically – roads in some communities that require further development or development on a whole. He also said: “We also want to give our fisherfolk better facilities . We want to give our young people opportunities in terms of sports, and education”.
He said winning South Leeward means really engaging with the people and doing considerable work on behalf of the people of South Leeward.
“What we need is someone who is going to continuously engage with the people of South Leeward, really understand what those needs are, really understand what those wants are and as far as is reasonably possible, work steadfastly and aggressively to ensure that in a reasonable fashion, those needs and wants are addressed,” Mr. Williams said.
If he gets the nod from the ULP South Leeward Constituency Council and Central Executive of the party to be the candidate in the next general elections, he will likely go up against incumbent – Nigel ‘Nature’ Stevenson who has won the constituency, consecutively, for the opposition New Democratic Party – NDP since 2010.
Referring to Mr. Stevenson, Mr. Williams said: “they’ve had a candidate from the other party for a number of elections and that candidate has not necessarily led to the development of South Leeward”.
“We need new persons to move South Leeward forward; we need new ideas to move South Leeward forward. We need fresh faces, fresh opportunities, and fresh ideas, and I believe I am offering that opportunity to the people of South Leeward,” Mr. Williams said, adding that he also believes he can bring fresh opportunities and ideas for “St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a whole”.
When asked about the implications on his potential run, of the ULP seeking an unprecedented sixth consecutive term in office, Mr. Williams said:
“While the ULP May be going for a sixth term, I believe that the ULP has constantly refreshed the slate of candidates that they have offered to the electorate of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and they will continue to refresh that slate which allows us to bring new ideas to the fore because I think it is important that we do not stay we do not stay mired in old ideas of 2020, 2015, and 2010 and before that period.
“St. Vincent and the Grenadines is going through a transition and it is important that the leadership of the ULP, it is important that the candidates who represent the people for the ULP come with new ideas, come with fresh ideas as to how we can move the country forward, develop the country and offer the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines hope,” Mr. Williams said.
He said: “Yes, six terms is significant, but it’s not six terms of the same candidates. The leader has been prudent enough to understand that he needs fresh minds around him, that he needs new energy around him, that he needs new ideas if we are going to move the country forward; and for me, personally, I believe I am going to offer South Leeward a fresh beginning and a fresh start.”
The candidate for the ULP in the 2020 general elections was Ms. Mineva Glasgow.
The next general elections are expected in 2025.
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