Seriously...who call he?

I actually like Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, you know. I find him charming and articulate and fairly sporty, as far as politicians go.

But what I can't tek about Ralphie is how he always 'inna-inna' some other island's politics. And it's starting to make him look quite the busybody. Heck, forget starting to make him look so...he just look so, straight.

I don't know if it is because he is such an ebullient character who has lived all around the region and because he attended UWI with many of these leaders in a time where rhetoric about Caribbean unity ran deep, he feels some sort of kinship. I get that he sees himself as a 'Caribbean man' and I guess he may feel that issues in other islands concern him too.

But he cannot seem to keep himelf off of political platforms in other people's islands! And with the silly season sweeping the Caribbean in the last year (see my earlier post on the topic - It's Enough to Make a Politics Junkie Cry)it seem like Ralphie all bout the place like Poonka nowadays.

And he don't hold his tongue. He cannot just be happy to spout some platitudes about leadership and unity and this is a good party. He does have to attack his friend's enemies. So in Jamaica, he blind the JLP for the PNP. Not once but twice. In St. Lucia, he blind the UWP and Sir John Compton for Kenny Anthony.

And now he at it in Dominica, cussing the Opposition which is trying to bring down Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt over some (admittedly tenuous) corruption allegations.

I don't understand de man - you politicking in somebody else country? Who call you? You from bout hey? The first time or two it was cute, but now it is annoying and unseemly. And he knows it. According to the Caribbean Media Corporation:

He said while he was not getting involved in Dominica's internal politics, he would nonetheless not allow political opponents to smear the reputation of the 36-year-old Dominican leader.

"They are going to say that I shouldn't be coming here to Dominica and talk about my friend. He is my friend, and I will not stand by and watchpeople beat up on my friend, I will come to help my friend.

Again , I say - who call he? Furthermore, he said he was not getting involved in Dominica's politics, but ammm... that is EXACTLY what he doing!

It is unbecoming and frankly stupid for a political leader of another island, who should at least try to maintain some semblance of neutrality, to be 'tekking up fire rage' for a politician in another country.

And with the winds of political change that have swept the region in recent times, it is making him look quite foolish. The same JLP that he cuss, is now in power, and as fellow CARICOM heads, he now has to deal with them and their leader. Similarly, in St. Lucia, Kenny Anthony is now out in the political cold and the UWP which Gonsalves cuss is now running things.

How does this augur for regional diplomacy? Yes, Gonsalves may have his political preferences and friends in the different islands - those with whom he feels more politically in tune, but unless the issue is one that directly affects St. Vincent, why he always putting he mouth in other people's business? He really needs to stop now.