SVG Green Party strongly believes that government driven by referendum is the most positive process of government to safeguard the finances and assets of SVG.

The electorate has power one day every 5 years - only on election day. They vote a party into government and then hope for the best. However, under the referendum structure of government the electorate has power and control over the government every day of those 5 years. The party in office becomes more of an administrative body and is driven by the referendum.

How does the referendum type of government work? The referendum structure stipulates what policies must be decided by a referendum. For example, any project involving over say 5 million dollars must be put to the people and decided by referendum. For example, masses of SVG’s crown lands are being sold to foreigners without the people’s say so. Let us put these decisions to the people.

The cross country road should be decided by a referendum. We should let the people decide ‘whether they want to lose their drinking water or not’. On such an important issue as the loss of the nation’s drinking water, one person should not be making the decision. Whether you are educated or not, you know the value of water.

Switzerland is a classic example of a referendum government. In a referendum system of government power is always in the hands of the electorate. It eliminates corruption, since decision making is transparent and the people always have the final say in the decision process.

We saw in Venezuela a classic example of the power of the people via a referendum. Chavez was getting too big for his boots and thought only he should rule Venezuela. He put it to the people to change the constitution so he could serve a 3rd term. The people voted NO, and put Chavez in his place. Chavez was humbled and now he is a weak man.

For the referendum system to be effective in SVG we need to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16 years to give young people a say in the referendum process of government, because the bulk of our population is young people. SVG Green Party calls on young people to demand the right to vote be reduced from 18 to 16 years. When the right to vote is changed to age 16, politicians and policy makers will pay attention to what young people want and they would implement policies that would enhance young people’s standard of living and quality of life. SVG Green Party will reduce the voting age to 16.

The ULP regime is ruining people’s long-term life opportunities with bad policies. SVG Green Party is concerned that SVG is becoming the ‘Zimbabwe’ of the Caribbean. In Zimbabwe it costs 1 million dollars for a loaf of bread and 7 million dollars for an egg. Inflation is 100,000%. Zimbabwe is ruined and SVG is heading the same way under the ULP regime.

SVG Green Party asks people to think of their long-term life opportunities and vote Green for an SVG economy run by economic intelligence.