Articles - News

   Deputy Leader of the SLP, the Hon. Philip J Pierre held a press conference with the media today, Wednesday, August 31, 2011 where he discussed among other things the recent resignation of Dennery North Parliamentary Representative Marcus Nicholas’ resignation from the UWP as well as the unaccounted use of Taiwanese.

During his address, the Parliamentary Representative for Castries East disclosed evidence in support of the country wide school of thought that Prime Minister Stephenson King has no control of his cabinet. He went to provide examples of the gross neglect of SLP parliamentarians by the government who in a desperate attempt to gain cheap political points has channeled national resources directly to UWP candidates in order to affect community projects.

He further dispelled the notion that diplomatic aid from China was not placed in the consolidated fund under the SLP’s tenure by providing examples where monies from China as well as the United States and other allies were always under the purview of the Accountant General except in cases where projects were financed and constructed by the donor themselves.

In concluding, Mr. Pierre asked the Prime Minister who now holds a 9-8 majority in the House of Assembly to remove St. Lucia from the mystery that has been the past 4 and a half years and call the General Elections so the St. Lucian electorate can finally dictate the direction of their country.

   There is a poll circulating in St Lucia at the moment which projects that the St Lucia Labour Party will win the upcoming elections by a 10 seat Parliamentary majority to 6 for the incumbent UWP with one uncertain seat in Babonneau, resulting in an even more optimistic 11-6 outcome in favour of the SLP.
Any realistic supporter of the SLP should dismiss such predictions and not be comforted, for it is reminiscent of the outcome of the 2006 elections for the SLP, which suffered a devastating reversal of fortune based on wrong assumptions and predictions made by pollsters . The poll conducted by CADRES of Barbados for the SLP in 2006 projected that the SLP would win the elections by a 10-7 majority in a worst case scenario, while a Jamaican pollster gave the SLP a whopping 14-3 margin of victory. The results of those polls imbued the SLP with an overconfidence which was reflected in a reckless disregard for the reality on the ground. Instead an 82-year-old octogenarian beat a boastful an arrogant politician in a shocking 11-6 defeat.
Polls conducted in St Lucia are notoriously unreliable. This, I believe, is borne out of a deep suspicion and entrenched cultural attitude by St Lucians who are averse to revealing to pollsters their true feelings on issues or disclosing accurately their true state of affairs whether it be social, economic or political matters. Any survey or poll carried out in St Lucia is suspect, for St Lucians will not provide to those conducting surveys exactly what they earn, what their true economic circumstances are, and as for males the number of children they have fathered and the electorate who they will vote for. There is the suspicion that in a provincial society like ours that the information given will not be kept confidential and as far as political preferences go the attitude among St Lucians is, ‘who I vote for, is none of your damn business!’
In all likelihood general elections will be called sometime in October or November this year, and most definitely not in December, for citizens might be offended by the idea of an election during the festive Christmas season. Constitutionally an incumbent can extend its stay in office for a further three months beyond the five year period. This would be totally unacceptable to the electorate who would only tolerate the extension of the life of government in a genuine state of emergency and not in circumstances meant to give it a political advantage.
So what are the prospects for the impending elections? From my perspective I will look at some of the criteria that in my assessment will influence the outcome of the elections. I will give an assessment of performance on the economic front; political leadership—i.e. the profile of the leadership of the two main political parties; the Taiwanese factor, and the role of other groups pretending to be legitimate political parties.
Of course there are other factors but I will restrict my analysis to those criteria. the main political parties in St Lucia, the SLP and the UWP have a base of unwavering supporters of between 34,000 to 36,000 voters. If one examines the margin of victory in successive elections over the years, one will discover that the victorious party emerged with a popular vote ranging between two to three thousand votes, not a large disparity. Therefore it is safe to conclude that both of the main political parties enjoy approximately equal numbers of supporters. The outstanding aberration is 1997 in which the SLP won by a margin of 44,153 votes to the UWP’s 26,325. The question that may need to be asked is how such a mandate could evaporate into thin air to one of outright derision and hatred towards a man once hailed as a saviour. Deep in the recesses of his mind Kenny Anthony knows the answer and I will not bother to go over a road of recriminations against Kenny that are well known such as the recklessness of Rochamel, the introduction of a new term in St Lucia’s infrastructural expenditure called ‘cost over-runs,’ and his unction’s imperious attitude when called to account by the people. I sincerely believe had Kenny won the 2006 elections, he would have behaved like a tyrant and oligarch.
In contrast, although lacking the academic credentials, Stephenson King exudes a modest and affable personality that endears him to supporters and enemies alike. He never counters with the same viciousness that his opponents attack him to undermine him in the public eye. An affable and approachable politician is a formidable force in politics. As a former Press Secretary to PM King I have never heard him utter a disparaging word about his political enemies, a philosophy once memorably expressed by Sir John. For in his political life when the most vicious labels were attached to Sir John he never responded in kind but in his later years would reveal that he never considered his political opponents to be ‘enemies,’ to him they were just ‘adversaries.’
On the economic front: The entire world, including the most advanced economies, from the mighty United States, Japan, Greece, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, to name just a few, are experiencing the most debilitating economic crisis the world has ever faced since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
It is so easy for those with a narrow political agenda to preach doom and gloom about the St Lucian economy, and who will crucify the writer for giving a proper examination of the economic circumstances in which countries like ours find ourselves, having only a recourse to a vulnerable agriculture industry dominated by a fading banana sector and a tourism industry dependent on the USA and the United Kingdom now in the throws of what is termed ‘double digit’ recession.
On a minute by minute basis we are exposed daily to riots in European countries over austerity measures; the hundreds of thousands who have lost their homes in the United States, the millions who have lost their jobs now living in shelters, and dependent on soup kitchens for a daily meal. Somehow can we look into the heavens without fear of punishment from the mysterious force above, and say that St Lucia has done terribly under this global economic meltdown? According to calypsonian Chalk Dust, ‘all we have is sea water and sand,’ yet with our limited means and resources, the economic depression has not affected our people visibly as much as the people in the rich, industrialized countries.
How many of us from all walks of life have been engaged by fellows St Lucians visiting us for Jazz, carnival, or holidays and been told, but I don’t understand how prosperous St Lucia looks. Per capita, in the country
I live and work I have never seen more SUV-BMWs, Audis, and Range Rovers,
the vehicles of choice of the super rich in the advance countries. Where do St Lucians get the money to build all those palatial homes and everybody looks so optimistic despite the economic decline that is affecting the entire globe. Despite Stephenson King’s lack of economic knowledge, there must be a financial and economic guru of outstanding capability guiding the economic ship of state for St Lucia under the present administration. Despite the vicious criticisms the leader of the opposition has not offered any alternative prescriptions for dealing with the economic situation that faces us, and will be exacerbated by the downgrading of America’s financial status ratings and the precipitous drop of the stock market.
The Republic of China on Taiwan has been the most generous benefactor to date to St Lucia since the advent of independence. The people of St Lucia are the beneficiaries of a multiplicity of projects that touch the lives of St Lucians in a personal way in the various communities. It is reflected in the rural areas where IT centres have
been established for the
youth, the concrete foot-paths that have been built, pipe borne water that has been brought to remote communities, and the small agricultural projects that have been established by the Taiwanese. The rehabilitation of the Union Agricultural Station, from the Kenny Anthony administration’s mindless plans to turn it into a football field, now produces fresh water shrimp and introduced the cultivation of the most wondrous and beautiful orchids and judging from the large cross-section of people who attend the Taiwanese seminars and training sessions in this crop’s cultivation, will play a major role in our agricultural diversification. Given a choice of mainland China’s presence in St Lucia, the people of St Lucia would without hesitation opt for the continued presence of Taiwanese in St Lucia because of their demonstrated concern for the welfare of the common people.
Still on the subject of Taiwan, I must take issue with a news item carried on Radio St Lucia on Tuesday 9th August, News Nationwide news bulletin. What depths of degradation would our aspiring Prime Minister descend to? I was appalled to hear a strident, course Kenny Anthony, read in superfluous detail, a letter sent to him by some contractor about a contract for works awarded by the Taiwanese and given to the contractor at the recent launch of the candidate for Choiseul. The letter detailed amounts demanded by Minister Bousquet from the contractor. Kenny promised that he would pass the letter to the police so they could take the necessary actions and arrest Bousquet. I have no brief for Rufus Bousquet, but I keep being astonished by Kenny’s legal conclusions. How can the police act in a matter that does not involve state funds or taxpayers’ money and should rightly be the concern of the Taiwanese Embassy? Is it the typical behaviour of Kenny to regard the citizens of this country as persons with limited intelligence, that even a roadside lawyer can detect the patent unethical attempt to misdirect a gullible public in mindless allegations. We in St Lucia are not naïve. I challenge every politician in St Lucia who has ever been in office to swear that he has never engaged in that kind of stuff.
Why isn’t Kenny instead educating the crowds at political gathering about his alternative plans for a better St Lucia and the course of action that our young people should pursue to be prepared for the new world of technology and opportunity, and the education and discipline required to participate effectively in the world of work of the future as well as alleviate the unemployment situation.
I will deal briefly with the final issue that I set out to analyze as important influences on the outcome of the upcoming elections: the existence of groups pretending to be serious contenders in the upcoming elections. With elections due in St Lucia within a period of four months, that is from now until December 11th 2011, or constitutionally extended to March 2012. To date the parties I wish to dismiss are the LPM and my good friend Azi Alexander of ONE.
These parties have no political base, I wish to simply re-iterate some of the arguments I advanced as far back as early January this year, for which I was roundly criticize. I argued that political activity cannot be conducted from a safe perch overseas by remote control and the issuance of press releases. With elections only a few months away those gentlemen have not abandoned their jobs and their US citizenship if they are to seriously take part in the upcoming elections.
The electorate gravitate to the people who wish to represent them who are in the trenches to identify and feel their problems, their pain and their suffering. The people form an attachment to those persons who can articulate their problems and offer them their unique solutions to get out of the mire of their deprivations. There is nothing that is reflected in the LPM which demonstrates that the LPM is ready to participate in the next elections in St Lucia. I expect that at the last minute, St Lucians without any demonstrated political conviction will tell the LPM they are unable to run. I was harshly pilloried for my statement then, that I have even more reason to persist, that the LPM should be relegated to the dust bin of St Lucia’s political history.
Azi Alexander of One fame is a pleasant personality and good friend, who knows that ONE is not a serious contender. But I do think he plays a useful role in bringing to public attention issues of national importance. I believe that in our small society, in the conduct of elections we should not be creating acrimony among our people by attacking with impunity the reputation of other candidates, when those painting accusatory fingers have had worse allegations leveled
against them in the
shadows of their past. In the provincial society that is ours we know what they are, so be silent.
Instead let us elevate the debate and discuss issues that offer a better and more efficient administration for our countries, not tissues that belong to the Deglos landfill.

   The will of the people is the most powerful force in the world. The world watches in fascination as events unfold in Libya, with a rapidity that was never anticipated. No one expected that Libyans fighting for freedom and the ousting of Libyan leader Colonel Muhamar Gadhafi, would have reached the stronghold of the dictatorship, the capital Tripoli, with such speed.
The domino principle is being played out in the Middle-East as the dictatorships and despotic regimes are crumbling under the pressure of the people’s determination to change the status quo where one man, his family, and his agents control all the wealth and political levers of a country, make all the decisions, while citizens are treated as juveniles incapable of participating in the decision making process.
It all started with president Ben Ali of Tunisia, who led his country for 23 years, and had to flee on the 14th January, this year. This was quickly followed by Hosni Mubarak of Egypt on the 11th February, after ruling his country for 30 years. Like a viral infection the determination for change in the Middle East has spread to Syria and the other countries on the horn of Africa where dissension and the fever of revolution is spreading like wild fire. Syria, Algeria, Morocco and Yemen are all being threatened, and now Libya from the evidence seen on TV has irreversibly fallen in the hands of the forces of resistance.
If only the leaders of those countries had heeded Shakespeare’s words which apply to all spheres of human endeavour, particularly to politics, that all the world’s a stage where we all have our entrances and exits, and should know when to bow out gracefully. Never overstay your welcome on the stage. But politicians in particular have that weakness where they fail to listen to the voice of the people and ignore the political wind, never knowing when to quit.
The despots who have been overthrown, who thought they could oppress their people in perpetuity, if they had just listened to the political wind and stepped down at the right time, could have been able to retire quietly into old age.
Do the present tyrants in the Middle East desperately clinging to power, not witnessed the fate of those who preceded them? Sadam caught like a rat in a hole in the ground to escape the wrath of his people? Has Assad of Syria and Gadhafi like a hunted animal on the run seen the images, of a once powerful President of Egypt, one of the great civilizations of the world, wheeled into court in an iron cage, surrounded by his two sons, sick and impotent, as the world views his image as a weakened and sick old man. It is a truly disturbing image of a man who once walked with kings, princes, heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, reduced to such a pathetic state, and not evincing public sympathy from the people he ruled for 30 years.
I have in my possession a treasured copy of Colonel Muhamar Gadhafi’s Green Book that I purchased in a little bookstore in England in 1981. In England I liked browsing through quaint old book stores and antique shops, of which there are a proliferation. I am a bit confused on the correct spelling of the Colonel’s name with his military uniform looking like a dandy. CNN spells his name GADHAFI, the BBC, GADDAFI. But on the cover of the Green Book the author’s name is spelt: MUAMMAR AL QUATHAFI.
In his book Gadhafi lays out his political philosophy which he describes as ‘the final solution to the problem of the instrument of government.’ Gadhafi argues that ‘all political systems in the world today are the struggle for power between instruments of governing. The struggle may be peaceful or armed, such as the conflicts of classes, sects, tribes, parties or individuals. The victory is always the victory of an instrument of governing—be it an individual group, party, or class, and the defeat of the people’
He criticized Western style democracy because in his words ‘immediately after winning the people’s votes, he usurps the people’s authority and acts instead of them. That means that parliaments have become a means of plundering and usurping the people’s authority. Hence the people have the right to struggle, through popular revolution, to destroy those who usurp democracy and the people’s sovereignty and take them away from the masses.’
Evidently Gadhafi failed to heed his own words. If he had read the words of his own book, he would have been in a far better place today, than like a hunted animal fleeing from his people. He has taken on a posture of defiance, as he vows to fight on, when it is evident to all that it is all over for him. Still in his delusional state, Gadhafi vows to fight on or martyrdom. Just like all despots, Sadam Hussein a prime example, they enjoy the pain and suffering they inflict on others and the power of life and death over those who challenge their authority. But instead of openly leading his defeated army on which so much of the country’s financial resources were spent, he hides from untrained teachers, x-ray technicians ,a shopkeeper, ordinary working people who make up the revolutionaries who have never before held a gun in their hands. Like humpty dumpty, when despotic rulers are fallen from their pedestal, they will never be put together again.
As we watch the dramatic pictures of history unfold in our living rooms, we must be amazed at the bravery and determination of the people of the Middle-East. In Syria, tanks and warships are used to kill and terrorize the people, yet the crush of humanity defiantly reassembles to face the might of a despotic regime, with a daily slaughter of dozens of young men, women and children, while the world issues empty admonitions to Assad.
Inevitably, people who are subjugated overcome what is the greatest hindrance to the destruction of tyrannical regimes—fear. When fear is overcome, no military might, can deter the march of the people, who will resort in ingenuous ways to destroy the regime. When a young man was asked by a reporter why they were fighting against Gadhafi, the young man replied ‘ Now we are free! I have a future.’ For the longing for freedom is the most compelling, magnetic force that has driven man throughout the entire history of the world. It is in man’s DNA.
The Western analysts commenting on the events in Libya have all expressed their concern over the descension into destruction and chaos.
But all revolutions in history descend to a period of uncertainty and chaos, and inevitable violence towards former rulers. It happened in France where the revolution precipitated the most extreme violence towards the monarchy and aristocracy, by the use of the most gruesome method of execution, the guillotine. The Russian Revolution of 1917-18 also saw the execution of the Tsar and his entire royal family.
A revolution is not a tea party. Family and friends of the revolutionaries have been killed by the state apparatus, and in their struggle to depose the tyrannical regime comrades and brothers have made the ultimate sacrifice.
It was the writer Franz Fanon who wrote the famous book, The Wretched of the Earth.’ In the book, Fanon, a psychiatrist by profession, and a revolutionary in practice, asserts that the man who has been held in bondage needs to exercise revengeful violence towards his former oppressors in order to expiate himself from the rage within. The action of repressed man must follow its natural human course for normality to return. Otherwise there will always be repressed anger which manifests itself in severe psychological damage, if the anger is not given an avenue to dissipate itself, writes Fanon. It is not easy for those who have actually witnessed and experienced the brutality of a regime that tortures and kills, for its agents and perpetrators to live a life of peaceful co-existence in a community following a revolution. But order is restored in the end, for people who have shed blood in a noble cause.
The lesson to be learned from all this as we watch history unfold before our very eyes, is that man cannot be held in perpetual subjugation by a small clique. He will eventually break the chains that bind him. There is only one fate in store for Gadhafi, his family, and his agents, who led a privileged life during his reign.
Gadhafi’s reaction to a call from his people for a more democratic form of government in Libya was to use military aircraft to bomb demonstrators. He promised the trial and execution of the demonstrators. His fate has been determined from his own mouth, for barring a miraculous escape, his people will find him, and in the worlds of Fanon, there will be no outbreak of peace and love towards him.

   Some believe the National Youth Council construct of Youth Parliament was best. Others call the new era of Youth Parliament refreshing. I still have my reservations on both having participated for the last two years.
I hadn’t participated in Youth Parliament while NYC planned it so I can only speak on Youth Parliament in the recent past. While I fully support the effort and believe that Youth Parliament should be held at least on a quarterly basis instead of annually, there are still some kinks that need to be worked out. Under the watchful eye of the Ministry of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports, a commendable amount of resources were put into the venture including auditioning participants, sourcing mentors, training participants in the art of public speaking and speech writing and liaising with the Office of Parliament to ensure a productive House of Assembly and Senate meeting.
However, it still feels like the event is a rushed after thought, much like the preparations for Youth Month in April. Auditions were held on July 22 and 23. The first training session was held on August 4 and 5. The motion was given during the second week in August and the debates were held on August 25 and 26. Needless to say, the damp Youth and Sports conference room at Barnard Hill is not conducive for breathing much less working and holding training sessions.
Youth Parliament is supposed to serve as a vessel for constructive debate on societal issues without fear or favor, without party colours or political victimization, for the development of our society. We debate policy- its successes, failures and enhancements. We do not debate administrations. We have no youth government. We are given an opportunity that very few are privileged to have-we speak nationally for our youth. We sit in those cushy chairs hoping that one day we can make a difference. We are political but not partisan.
In recent times, Youth Parliament has engaged in relevant debates on issues of the day. Last year’s issue dealt with computer misuse and cyber crime: the importance of legislation, the kinds of legislation, challenges faced in implementing such legislation and the social implications. This year, the issue was unemployment.
The motion reads as follows, “Whereas, the perennial problem of unemployment has been significant in the Youth population of the islands in the Caribbean and that this situation has been recognised as critical requiring the immediate intervention of the various Governments and other agencies;
And whereas in the case of Saint Lucia, it has been reported by the CARICOM Commission on the Youth that it cost 2.46 percent of the Gross Domestic Product of which female youth unemployment cost million USD 14.34 (0.89 percent GDP), male unemployment cost 25.15 million USD (1.56 percent GDP);
And whereas the root cause of this crisis can be identified from the apparent lack of commitment to a national strategy to stimulate and sustain the necessary economic activity that will encourage enterprise and entrepreneurship; And whereas this cause is further encouraged by the obvious failure in the Government’s commitment to a policy relevant and necessary to encourage educational and technical programs and opportunities that will assist the economic activity;
And whereas if that root cause is not addressed immediately it will further endanger the prospects for the unskilled and inexperienced to acquire a skill placing them at a distinct disadvantage to enter and satisfy the labour market.
Be it resolved that Her Majesty’s Opposition hereby demand this Government to take all immediate and appropriate steps to introduce measures to make accessible educational programs and opportunities that will promote learning opportunities and to support its use by the Citizens of Saint Lucia.”
The discussion, which was full of facts and figures, was repetitive at times, sporadically lacked depth of thought and luster but the silver tongues, ingenuity and perspective of the youth lent an air of intrigue to the overall debate.
I must say, unfortunately, I was disappointed that my colleagues began imbuing the personas of the very characters whose seats they were in. There were utterances of “my government did . . .” and “when you were in government . . . ” and “don’t worry, better days are coming” and “you will not win this election” leaving me baffled because to my knowledge we have no youth government, we have no youth candidates and we have no youth elections! Youth Parliament is not a campaign tool.
Interestingly enough, the start of the debate gave no indication this would be the acceptant trend. Jonathan Charles proposed the motion as Leader of the Opposition and confessed he was torn while preparing his presentation as his mother is the ruling party’s candidate for Vieux Fort North. He performed exceptionally, doing justice to the motion.
What was disturbing were the complaints brought to my attention by members of one team. On a side note, in Youth Parliament there are three teams: one assigned in favor of the motion, one assigned against the motion and one who have the choice to vote either for or against (independent).
Apparently, one team called a meeting to dictate to its members where to vote. This is against the principles of Youth Parliament which encourages individual thought by allowing each member, regardless of team, to vote where he/she sees fit after weighing all the arguments.
It was refreshing to see the level of interest and support this year’s Youth Parliament generated. MPs past and present made an effort to speak to the youth parliamentarians, giving an insight into St Lucia’s political arena and airing their likes and dislikes of parliamentary procedures and governance.
The St Lucia Labour Party Gros Islet hopeful Emma Hippolyte joined Jeannine Compton-Antoine (who is a regular fixture at Youth Parliament) for the two days of debate.
Prime Minister Stephenson King attended the opening session while National Security Minister Guy Mayers tried to catch as much of the debate as possible. SLP’s Lorne Theophilus and Stanley Felix caught the closing end of the Senate presentation on Day Two.

   It appears I have a fundamentally different view of a political campaigning from those currently advising Dr Kenny Anthony and by extension the St Lucia Labour Party. It is my candid opinion that elections are about the future. The past is instructive in that it helps us avoid making the same mistakes over and over. The pending elections could end in a relatively easy victory for the SLP but it appears the party’s strategists have decided to make things unnecessarily difficult for themselves.
The basic strategy in an election campaign is to draw people to your side, not to isolate and drive people away by adopting a ridiculous stance of slash and burn. The recently expressed silly notion that anyone who disagrees with the party leader’s view on a particular issue is an enemy, a Judas, a traitor hostile to the Labour Party suggests warped thinking. It is a view that points to a superiority complex counter-productive to growth, an authoritarian stance that must trouble those who believe in the true tenets of democracy and democratic institutions. In 2008, Barack Obama proved the genius of his campaign when he weaved together a broad coalition that finally delivered a historic presidential victory when most experts had predicted otherwise.
As a journalist, I’m affronted by anyone who believes the press must be their personal domain. The press’ responsibility is to provide information so that the electorate will be able to make informed decisions based on the facts at their disposal. In Journalism 101, my professor and I got into a rather heated debate over the role of the media.
He began the class by saying “the role of the press is to set the agenda.” I immediately raised my hand and challenged what I considered a most provocative statement by my professor. It turned out he was pushing what he perceived as a core principle of the American press. I argued that the role of the media is simply to present the facts and that agenda-setting could not be its role. My professor was adamant. The role of the press was not static, he said, and that the media should conform to changing norms of society if it was to remain relevant.
Then he put to the class this question: “Is the press biased?” He went on to remind us that we all have our biases and since the press is made up of people and is controlled by entities, it is only to be expected that the press would sometimes be biased. Besides, objective reasoning is often guided by one’s upbringing, ideological leanings and moral underpinnings.
Dr Anthony’s recent description of the STAR as “hostile to the Labour Party” suggested a tactlessness that can hardly be the hallmark of quality leadership. The statement by Dr Anthony that the STAR reporter sought to clarify and about which she hoped to question the party leader was already in the public domain. Even if he felt the paper has been critical of his involvement in the Gyrnberg Affair, and therefore was of a mind not to be cooperative or generous to the young reporter, Dr Anthony could easily have referred her to his press people.
A leader with a modicum of diplomacy might have used the opportunity to benefit his party by setting the record straight on matters the paper have unsatisfactorily covered. He could have taken the STAR to task by supplying details of the paper’s hostility. He could have seized the moment to present his party’s position about the role of the press in a maturing democracy.
Instead, Dr Anthony underscored a vindictive trait by declaring the STAR his party’s enemy. This latest outburst returns into sharp focus Dr Anthony’s ruthless action in 1999, when he fired three senators after they asked legitimate questions regarding a matter of national interest: the proposed Helenair government guarantee.
There are those who have argued that it was his right to expel the senators, since they were government appointees therefore dutybound to support the administration in all cases. But the Senate, established under the Constitution, was never created as the government’s rubber stamp. It was set up as a higher, deliberative body to act as a check and balance on the lower House. The Saint Lucia Senate has never functioned in line with the Constitution and this is one of the biggest failures of our democracy. If the government’s actions cannot be questioned in the Senate without fear of possible repercussions by the government, then the Senate becomes aberrational.
Like the deceased John Compton who famously dismissed the media as “the poison poured into the system weekly,” mainly because it was perceived as pro-Labour, so Dr Anthony has revealed a level of anti-press sentiment has again betrayed a dangerous, despotic attitude. This cowboyish, my-way-or-the-highway character trait is not conducive to unity, but is instead very divisive. It has no place in an administration with a social conscience. Indeed Dr Anthony’s verbal slamming of the door in the face of reporter Alisha Ally proves yet again how wrong are those who believed he had learned the lessons of the recent past.
Shortly before the last general elections, from the steps of the Castries market, Dr Anthony recklessly referred to Timothy Poleon as a terrorist—albeit “a media terrorist.” That level of carelessness in a public pronouncement might have been interpreted as a lapse of judgment, had it not been followed up with the famously anti-press Section 361, subsequently repealed as a result of public pressure. Perhaps more than anything else Section 361 was indicative of a deep-seated disregard for the function of a free press.
Dr Anthony will be well advised not to allow the people’s pending electoral victory to swell his ego. The elections are still months away and the people have not yet voted. It should be kept in mind the power of the ballot box to turn grown men into wailing crybabies.
William Faulkner, more than a half-century ago, wrote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Dr Anthony and his election strategists are evidently hell-bent on proving him right!