“Ask Ralph”

With just 13 days to go before Vincentians head to the poll, this country’s Prime Minister-Dr. Ralph Gonsalves recently engaged members of the public during an Ask Ralph Facebook session.

A release from the ULP states that the session was held on Monday, as the Unity Labour Party pitches for a fourth consecutive term in office.

The release adds that Prime Minister Gonsalves responded to 60 comments, questions, and suggestions via his Facebook Page, during the 105 minute session, which commenced at 6:00 on Monday evening and ended around 7:45.

The topics raised included: commuter transportation, the Government’s Lives to Lives program, upgrades to Community Centers with Computers, and tourism.

During the session the Prime Minister, in responding to a question, disclosed that the ULP has plans for the overall urban development of Kingstown, which includes building tropical shops in the Chinatown area. He said a boardwalk will also be constructed at the seafront.

Speaking at a Press Briefing before participating in the “Ask Ralph” session, Prime Minister Gonsalves responded to a question about the role of social media in the 2015 Election Campaign in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Social media increasingly plays a vital role in mobilizing persons for elections and to vote for you. Of course it is not the only medium but it is a vital medium. And as you notice we have a good social presence on social media. I wouldn’t be announcing to you to tell you that I have a Facebook chat at 6 o’clock if I did not think it was useful and I want to engage person’s especially young people and professionals who tend to go on the social media.”

“Ask Ralph” was the first live Facebook chat by any political leader in St. Vincent and the Grenadines – first of its kind.

Prime Minister Gonsalves’ campaign manager Julian Francis emphasized it was a demonstration of the evolution of the Party’s campaign strategy to one that is in keeping with the norms of the 21st century. “We have engaged a technological aspect to the campaign as we appreciate and recognize that there are tens of thousands of tech savvy voters and we have to cater to them too. This is 2015.”

The Unity Labour Party has its schedule for the rest of the week of November 23rd which includes 13 sessions until Sunday, November 29th.