KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – One of the Caribbean’s longest serving head of government says he is ready to work with whichever leader the electorates in Grenada and Barbados select in general elections on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.

“First of all, I make no comment about any of the elections. So, I am not agreeing with your thesis because I don’t want anybody to say that I am supporting,” Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the second longest serving government leader within the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) grouping, told reporters.

Grenadians are on Tuesday voting to elect a new government with the incumbent Prime Minister Tillman Thomas facing a strong challenge from the main opposition New National Party (NNP) of former prime minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.

In Barbados, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and his Democratic Labour Party are trying to stave off the challenge of the Barbados Labour Party, led by Opposition Leader Owen Arthur, in Thursday’s poll.

Gonsalves said it doesn’t matter which government is in Barbados since “both Stuart and Arthur and their respective parties are responsible and I will work with any of them … on all regional issues -- CLICO, BAICO, LIAT, all the issues.

“The same thing with Keith Mitchell. When Keith was in office, I worked with Keith even though Keith Mitchell and [former prime minister Sir] James Mitchell here and Keith has links with the New Democratic Party (NDP). I never had any problem with working with Keith either.

The New Democratic Party is the opposition in St. Vincent.

“I mean, I work with Tillman, too. I work with anybody who the electorate throws up. I may have my preference, which you may or may not know, but I work with anyone the system throws up,” Gonsalves said.