Respondents update as petitioners close case

Prime Minister Friday updates on election petition trial, emphasizing confidence in legal team and the importance of dual citizenship reform.

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Key Takeaways

Prime Minister Friday is fully engaged and confident in the legal process defending his election mandate.
The trial has progressed with petitioners completing their evidence and government preparing to present its case.
Dual citizenship is a key legal and constitutional issue impacting political eligibility in the Caribbean.
There is strong public support for the Prime Minister, reflecting the democratic mandate from the 2020 election.
Calls for constitutional reform to accommodate dual citizens and modernize outdated legal frameworks.

What the video covers

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves expresses confidence in his legal team and the ongoing court proceedings regarding the election petition.
The trial has reached the halfway mark with petitioners closing their case after extensive cross-examinations.
Dr. Gonsalves emphasizes his commitment to protecting the democratic mandate given by the people in the November 27 election.
The Prime Minister highlights the importance of respecting the legal process and the rule of law in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The case touches on the significant issue of dual citizenship and its implications for public office eligibility in the Caribbean.
There is a call for modernization of Caribbean constitutions to better accommodate dual citizens who contribute to their home countries.
The diaspora plays a critical role as many Caribbean nationals live abroad but wish to serve their home countries.
The Prime Minister and his team remain confident the court will rule in favor of upholding the democratic will of the people.
The trial is expected to continue with the government presenting evidence in September and concluding legal submissions by November.
The case has broader implications for the Commonwealth Caribbean regarding citizenship laws and political participation.

Chapters

What is the current status of the election petition trial?

The petitioners have closed their case after extensive evidence and cross-examinations. The government will present its evidence starting in September, with final submissions expected by November.

Why is dual citizenship a significant issue in this case?

Dual citizenship affects eligibility for public office in many Caribbean countries. The case highlights the need to clarify and possibly modernize constitutional provisions to allow loyal dual citizens to serve.

How does Prime Minister Friday view his role during the trial?

He is fully committed to representing the people and protecting their democratic mandate, attending court daily and supporting his legal team throughout the trial process.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Well, I'm very, very upbeat. I'm very pleased with the way how things are going, and our legal representative, our legal team, did extremely well.

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And I believe that the confidence with which we came into this matter is really reinforced by what happened in the courtroom in the last three days. Of course, it takes a lot of time. I'm the Prime Minister of the country rather

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than governing rather than sitting in the courtroom for three days of testimony. But I am here because the people have put me here. I respect their mandate.

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There are people who want to unseat that. I'm going to make sure that it doesn't happen. That's why I'm in court every single day and will be until the court rules in this matter.

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Listen, there's a legal process. I have always been confident about our position in this matter, but it's a matter for the court to decide.

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So, my feelings haven't changed. In fact, I feel better today. The further we go in this matter, the better I feel about it because I believe that our position is the one that is right in law.

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It's a matter for the court to decide. The evidence is being put in. The arguments are being made, and we have the experts here. They can talk to you more about the legal matters. I have just been grateful that I have such a

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strong team and a lot of support in the courtroom and outside. You see all these people who are gathered here, they have come out to support because they know that the democratic process is one that put me here in this seat.

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And it's what the people in this country want. I have a duty to protect that, and I will do so with every fiber in my body.

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The court is not going to be overruled. I'm not concerned about that because we have put our arguments there. We are very, very strong in our arguments and in our views on that matter. And so the judge will

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make her decision; that is hers, but I'm telling you what my own point of view is. The people, what I will say to them is thank you for your support.

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Thank you for the mandate that you gave us on November 27. Everybody in the country has accepted that, but some people just can't take the licks, and so they want to come in the court to try to do something

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else. We are going to protect and defend the mandate that the people gave us. So I'm going to be here every single minute of every day. I'm not making any cameo appearances and disappearing. I'm here to represent the people. Every minute of

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the day I'll be in the court until this matter is vindicated. Today we are at the halfway mark of the trial because today the petitioners have completed their evidence. It was a long, grueling session.

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I cross-examined Ms. McKinnon, the Canadian immigration expert attorney who gave evidence on behalf of the petitioners, and she was in the box for quite a long time testifying virtually.

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We have cross-examined both petitioners and all of their witnesses, and several remarkable things have emerged during intense interrogation in the witness box that we are looking forward to addressing the court on. We remain extremely confident about this matter.

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We repose our confidence in the learned trial judge to do justice according to law and in the best public interest in this matter.

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Dr. Friday and his government were elected with an overwhelming mandate. And this election petition is now going to be soon a year into the life of his administration. The fact that he sat patiently in the court out of respect

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for due process and the legal system as the head of the executive arm of the state in itself underscores his commitment to the rule of law and respect for the legal process and the constitution of St. Vincent and the

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Grenadines. Today, we feel very confident. We come back in the first week in September when we'll present our evidence, and thereafter in November, we will then wrap up and provide all legal submissions. The law is the law.

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But the love of the people has nothing to do with the law. And when I see the throngs of people, how they are attracted to the Prime Minister and the love that they show him every time he arrives in court in the morning, lunchtime when

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he comes out, and in the evening when he emerges from court, no law, no judgment can take away that love that he enjoys from the people. So, we await the judgment. We think that it will be consistent with the democracy and the

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democratic will that manifested itself in the general elections, and we are very confident that this matter is not going to detain us for much longer.

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How important is this case to the rest of not just the Caribbean but the British Commonwealth?

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The concept of dual citizenship is one of some significance because we've had some cases before in the Commonwealth Caribbean on this matter, and given the smallness of the islands in the Caribbean in the CARICOM region,

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I think it's important that we not confine ourselves too much to our talent pool that doesn't allow us to at least broaden our scope and outreach to have the best possible talent you can get.

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Prime Minister Friday could have easily remained in Canada, as could have the honorable attorney general, who could have remained actually after she graduated from the University of Oxford. And they could have quite easily remained in England and Canada and had a very lucrative

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career, but they chose to sacrifice in the interest of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the people here to come back here and to fight for their country, fight for the love of the people, and to

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remain as patriotic citizens. And for that, I commend them, and I think that is why they have won the election so handsomely.

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So, it is of great importance because at the end of the day, we want to ensure that people who come back to their country to serve must be allowed to serve and to do so in the best interest

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of the people. But do you not think that it is about time that the Caribbean islands start to look at their constitutions and modernize those constitutions without it being a political game?

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I do think that the time has come for us to take a second look at the constitution. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as with most Caribbean islands, probably have more people living off island than they do on

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island. And that's where, whether it's Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua, St. Lucia, I practice throughout the Caribbean, and that is so throughout the Caribbean. The diaspora outside of the country is larger than the people who

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reside in the country. And those are the people who have the international exposure, international experience, the education, and the expertise that can come back and serve to take and progress a country forward. So, to shut them out and slam the door in their

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face makes no sense. It's a self-inflicted wound, and it's counterproductive. So, yes, I agree with you. The time has come to review those things. There should be no reason why dual citizenship should not be openly

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accepted. The constitution, in our view, already permits it. But there should be no reason why a dual citizen who is loyal and wants to live in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a Vincentian should be prevented

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from serving in public office. But to avoid the confusion, let us make it clear across the board. Let the lines not be blurred so that he or she would know that if I do this, I am within the law,

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even if I carry out the instructions. That would be a matter for a parliament to decide, and it would be a matter for the government to decide, but it's certainly a recommendation that has a

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lot of obvious merit, and I would leave something to put to the Prime Minister.

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And what I would say, to be honest, our view is that the matter is clear.

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You know, the constitution says it very clearly in section 25, and so the matter is clear for us, but those who want to take it to the court, th...

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challenge, whether their application is meritorious or not. So, it's a matter that we will have court ruling on it here, as been ruled on elsewhere, but from our standpoint, it's a fairly clear situation, and as you argued in the

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court. Bear in mind that bear in mind that this is not Prime Minister's first political road trip. He has been serving in parliament, you know, for a long time.

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So, it's rather um it's rather interesting and curious, to say the least, that this objection has suddenly emerged after he's been elected Prime Minister for the first time. And that says something about it.

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Minister Rambharat, you know, who has also been required to sit for 3 hours for 3 days in the court and so forth, to again do something that the people in this country have done overwhelmingly in November the 27th,

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which is to proclaim himself as the elected duly elected representative, and as a minister doing the job to work at it.

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Yeah, like as Prime Minister Friday said it quite clearly, you know, the people have elected us to serve them, and we intend to do do We will continue to serve the people of this country.

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The this judgment or this petition brought before us, clearly it's it's the right of the petitioners so to do. But I think in this particular case, they exercise very poor judgment in utilizing that right that's available to them. I

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mean, you want to tell me after 25 years of of Prime Minister Friday being in Parliament, it's only now you realize that there's some ambiguity? And you didn't realize that before?

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You know, but I I would leave all of that to to the legal luminaries. All I will say is that I appreciate the opportunity offered me by the people of East Kingstown to serve them, and I will continue so to do until those people

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decide they no longer want me. Nothing else and no one else. I think the process is going fairly.

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Yeah, you know, it's uh we've just presented our our argument. You know, and we we wait to hear the other side and then for the court to adjudicate. It's a matter of um it is a matter of our constitution. You know,

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the integrity, which is a national matter. Yeah, you know, and and that's what it's about. And this very said constitution would have said where ambiguity lies. That you um you you're going to the court, have it tested in

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court. And this is exactly what what we are doing. Yes? Thank you very much. Thank you.

Speaker A

You ain't got to say nothing to that. Uh I'm I'm happy that we have made some progress in the case so far. I'm looking forward to to further progress in it.

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Uh we have come to the conclusion of the case petitioners. Uh the the respondents would have their their turn to um to bring their witnesses when the court resumes. I think that what we have seen here is really uh

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a strong testament of the importance of the court and and the role that the court has to play in resolving matters of dispute, including matters which are of dispute in relation to general elections.

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Um as you would know, we we sought to exercise our rights under the constitution to to challenge the validity of the election, and we are just going to trust the process of the law taking its course.

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Apart from that, I think that the the matter in court today and for the past few days has provided a great learning opportunity for our students of law and also for for young lawyers. So, I think they have been more or less

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sitting on the edge of their seats and taking in all the action. Of course, we we have in this instance some veteran legal practitioners being a part of the process including senior counsel from Trinidad and Tobago on both sides. So, we are able to drink

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from the cup of their wisdom as we seek to have the resolution of a very important matter in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Speaker A

You're welcome.

Topics:Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalveselection petitionSt. Vincent and the Grenadinesdual citizenshipCaribbean politicsconstitutional reformlegal trialdemocratic mandatediasporacourt proceedings

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