The Honourable Chief Justice of the OECS Supreme Court, having dealt with so many gun crime issues in the High Court of SVG, said on the 23rd May 2007 that ‘SVG is at war’. Few people would or could disagree with this intelligent observation about the state of SVG. This pronouncement came on the same day that the ULP regime was embarrassed again, when the High Court of Appeal ruled against the Director of Public Prosecutions in their appeal against the alleged sedition of the General Secretary of SVG Green Party.

Everyone can see that blood is running in SVG. The general public is at risk of serious gun crime and this is of real concern to SVG Green Party. The prevalence of serious crime is sending a shockwave of fear throughout our society. There is a fast growing gun culture in SVG and the ULP regime seems unable to control it. SVG has tipped very quickly from a peaceful, tranquil society to one that is ‘at war’.

Vincentians that normally live abroad have made many comments on the ‘change’ to our society. The majority are saddened with the decline of the country. The increased crime is discouraging some from returning, whether permanently or for a vacation. This negatively affects the SVG economy, especially as the economy dangerously relies heavily on tourism.

At a conference held in late May 2007 in SVG about crime in schools, a high ranking police officer said there were 197 cases of crime in schools. These included firearms, rape, indecent assault and offensive weapons and also crimes were being committed by children as young as 12 years old. What kind of society has SVG become under the mismanagement of the incompetent ULP regime? They seem unable to curb growing crime rates within schools and society in general.

It is clear that the ridiculous ULP regime’s economic policies are the root cause to this sad disintegration of our once tranquil society. The economy of SVG is in a state of imbalance and on a downward trajectory. This imbalance is stoking and perpetuating the uncurbed rise in serious crime in SVG. Our economy is in deep crisis and across the world the correlation between poor functioning economies and high crime rates is common. It is the poor, the unemployed and women who suffer most from crime. A further consequence is that as crime increases it undermines the economy.

Proper and positive economic management and structural change is urgently needed in SVG. SVG Green Party can provide this. The economy is not providing enough for the people of SVG. Many citizens are adrift with despair as the present economy offers little for the poor and young people and they can see that their long-term future is very bleak. The very social fabric and health of our communities is in serious crisis.

The most worrying by-product of a poor economy is serious crime, gun crime. The way to stop this upsurge of death and destruction in SVG is to fix the economy. The last six years have shown though, that when it comes to economics, the ULP regime is at best, dysfunctional.