Opposition party objects to Taiwanese president visit ahead of elections

KINGSTOWN(CMC):

A member of the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), St Clair Leacock, says he will consider any visit to St Vincent and the Grenadines by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te “in the middle of this year” to be interference in the country’s politics.

Debating the EC$1.85 billion budget for 2025 on Wednesday, the opposition lawmaker noted that Vincentians are likely to elect a new government this year — ahead of the February 2026 constitutional deadline.

He said the capital programme shows that the Ministry of Housing plans to build 1,000 houses this year and the financing is listed as local.

“It’s only when we get down to the end we see that we have to depend on a grant from our friends, Taiwan — significant, substantial.”

He told parliament that he did not want to “go too far into this Taiwan’s contribution because that will have implications.”

“But maybe let me to say it here now, as I see it now though, because I’m not squaring off or looking for issues with anyone else nor is our party, because I think that’s inclusive of the fact that the president of Taiwan may be here sometime this year. I think I heard that last year.”

Last year, after attending Lai’s inauguration in Taipei, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves announced that he had invited the Taiwan president to visit St Vincent and the Grenadines.

In response, Leacock said, “If the president of Taiwan came to St Vincent and the Grenadines in the middle of this year, I would construe it to be interference in the politics of St Vincent and the Grenadines. It’s an electoral year.”

“I said my interpretation of his presence here in an election year would be construed by me — I am entitled to an opinion — as interference into the political affairs of a sovereign state.

“And you don’t jump too high and jump off your horse because you can’t have it both ways. Because when we had Taiwan out at the Argyle International Airport receiving [the president of] India, we pulled them out the line.

“So today we want them, the next day we don’t want them. And we push them and pull them here according to our ideology, and ideology is major talking. So don’t come with them rancour for me.”

Leacock is one of two vice presidents of the NDP, which in 2016 announced that if elected to office it would sever ties with Taiwan and establish diplomatic relations with China.

Leacock is slated to seek a fourth consecutive five-year term as MP for Central Kingstown in that vote.

St Vincent and the Grenadines and Taiwan have remained diplomatic allies since ties were established in 1981.