Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, warned yesterday that Caricom’s thrust for greater regional integration would suffer a setback if Jamaica’s People’s National Party (PNP) failed to retain power in the next general election.

“Can you imagine what the integration movement in the region will be without the People’s National Party?” Gonsalves asked in remarks delivered at the closing session of the PNP’s 68th annual conference inside the National Arena in Kingston. “We goin’ back to dog eat dog.”

Gonsalves, who has constantly been criticised by the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) for interfering in Jamaica’s internal politics, told hundreds of PNP delegates and supporters yesterday that he was speaking on behalf of his ruling United Labour Party of St Vincent.

“PNP business is my business. Jamaica business is I-man business and St Vincent and the Grenadines business is your business,” he insisted.

“You, the people of Jamaica, must do the right thing and re-elected the People’s National Party and Portia Simpson Miller as prime minister,” Gonsalves said.

“Give Sister P she own mandate. Give she she own woman-date. Give her a massive victory, because she and the People’s National Party deserve it.”

He said that since 1938, the PNP has led the social democratic revolution which is unfolding throughout the Caribbean.

In a veiled attack on the JLP, Gonsalves said that, “nobody ever throw stone after green and fluxy mangoes, you throw stone after the mango which is ripe”.

“Never mind the propaganda, what you got to do is to beat it back,” he told the PNP supporters. “Beat back the propaganda of the enemies, not just of the People’s National Party, but those who come in all kind of guises, enemies of the Caribbean and of Jamaica and its magnificent people.”

balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com