Kenny Rings The Bell! - November 13, 2001

by Earl Bousquet

In the past week, St. Lucia celebrated World Tourism Day, a top IMF official told Caribbean delegates in Barbados the IMF “does not print money”, the House of Assembly held its last sitting, the Cuban Ambassador to St. Lucia assured St. Lucian students were safe in Cuba after the recent hurricane, Prime Minister Dr Kenny D. Anthony announced an imminent cut in electricity costs for St. Lucians as of January, the National Workers Union announced an interim agreement with Club Med for its workers, the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority established a Marine Unit, the St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority hosted a successful National Clean-up Activity, the St. Lucia Hotels & Tourism Association welcomed a package of assistance from the public utility companies, the NRDF announced it will stop giving agricultural loans, local war veterans observed Remembrance Day, the Civil Service Association launched CSA Week, the Prime Minister announced the election date and the ruling SLP launched its 17 candidates for the December 3 poll.

            But even while all of the above was taking place, the week was one dominated by political developments in the run-up to the snap December 3 poll announced by the Prime Minister.

            Following the Prime Minister’s announcement that the election would have been held before the end of December this year, the opposition parties went into a deep frenzy. The two opposition groups – the UWP and George Odlum’s Alliance – stepped up their frantic search for candidates to fill their respective slates, even as each claimed it would win and continued sniping at each other. Even within the UWP, the uneasy peace remained uneasy.

            There was increasing evidence last week that top UWP stalwarts around Dr Joseph was gearing up to challenge her leadership, even as she continued to talk tough and take the fight to her potential challengers.

            Asked about the UWP’s chances of winning the December poll without Sir John Compton at the leadership, she replied: “Sir John does not have to be a candidate for the party to win. The UWP will win, with or without Sir John.”

            At the same time, Sir John, who had by then realigned himself with the UWP after the UWP-Odlum National Alliance broke up, said the UWP would be able to win without Odlum. He said the former Alliance Political Leader “came into the UWP and left just as he came” -- with “nothing but a small group of people who were not trusted anyway…”

            For his part, Mr Odlum insisted his Alliance would be able to defeat the SLP without the UWP. He said the UWP “is not ready” and the fight would therefore be between the SLP and his Alliance, which would count on mass disaffection with the government to defeat the SLP.

But Mr Odlum subsequently admitted that his group – which has not yet filled a slate but is already suffering from defections among its already named candidates -- was “not fully prepared.” However, he said he welcomed the snap poll, saying it was “like pulling a tooth.”

With indications by Sir John of late that he would be prepared to contest a seat in the upcoming election, Alliance candidate for Micoud South, Lilia Harracksingh, last week said she was keeping her eyes on Sir John, who was the one who introduced her to politics and who backed her in her attempts to keep that seat for the UWP at the last general elections.

She said it was Sir John who brought her into the Alliance with a promise that he wouldn’t contest, but he’s now left her in the Alliance and returned to the UWP. Ms Harracksingh said she was staying where Sir John put her and she will be monitoring if and where he would be running, since he had not yet indicated.

There has been quite some confusion as to where Sir John would want to run. It was earlier suggested that he or Dr Morella Joseph would have taken the Micoud North seat, which the UWP considers safe. But Senator Marius Wilson, who had been earlier endorsed by the UWP, was said to be acting up and threatening to run as an independent if replaced, resulting in a decision earlier this week to reconfirm him as the candidate while Sir John and Dr Joseph realigned their sights on other seats.

 Word soon leaked from the UWP camp that Sir John had set his sights on Dennery North, while Dr Joseph would settle for Babonneau. By Sunday morning, it was reported the Dr Joseph had the night before changed address to a new residence at Babonneau, where a constituency office was already opened for the lady leader to plot her campaign as the new UWP candidate for what the party still considers its territory.

Interestingly, Dr Joseph will be doing battle for Babonneau against one other woman, Alliance hopeful Ms Jacintha Annius-Lee, who was also launched last week. A TV commentator and host of “Ladies Night – No Men Allowed” on DBS, Ms Lee is one of two women so far named by Mr Odlum as Alliance candidates.

In the case of Dennery North, it would appear that Sir John – who has reportedly conceded Micoud South to Mr Arsene James is gearing up to take over from Mr Marcus Nicholas, the former UWP candidate in the 1997. Mr Nicholas had a brief flirtation with Odlum Alliance after the National Alliance break-up, during which he was launched on TV as its candidate. He has however since abandoned Odlum, canvassing instead to return as the UWP candidate for Dennery North. But with Micoud South, Micoud North, Castries Central and Babonneau already taken, it is expected that Sir John will get the nod for Dennery North.

The scuffle for seats between the UWP and the Alliance is also playing out in a battle or sorts in several other constituencies. Former UWP Deputy Leader Zephrinus Francis – who has been replaced as Deputy Leader by Rufus Bousquet – also found himself replaced once more, this time as the prospective UWP candidate for Castries South. Francis and Mr Bain Nathaniel were said to have been expecting to participate in a run-off for the seat, but they were both sidelined and replaced by former SLP candidate Mr Lawson Cauldron, who has been parachuted into the slot.

There’s similar indecision in the case of the UWP’s choice for Dennery South, where former Odlum confidante and independent candidate Mr Denis DaBreo has been named as showing an interest in contesting for the UWP. Two other persons – including one former candidate Dr Jovita St Marthe – are also said to be interested. Mr DaBreo has reportedly broken with Odlum, with his One Caribbean newspaper last week heaping praise on former Prime Minister Dr Vaughan Lewis and Dr Morella Joseph as he predicted “A UWP Victory” in the elections.

In Gros Islet too, the UWP is said to be searching feverishly for a candidate following the reported decision by Leonard “Spider” Montoute to withdraw his nomination following the UWP’s divorce from the National Alliance, for which he had already been named as a candidate. There is also said to be some level of dissatisfaction on the part of former UWP minister Stephenson King with the apparent approval of former magistrate Nigel Toussaint as the party’s candidate for Castries North.

The UWP is also said to be been having problems identifying candidates for Castries South East, Vieux Fort North and Soufriere.

For its part, Odlum’s Alliance continues to be without candidates for most of the 17 seats while yet another of its so-far-named candidates is said to be planning on pulling out. Reports were rampant this past week that Mr Odlum’s candidate for Anse-la-Raye/Canaries, Dr Keith Mondesir, is reconsidering his options in light of developments since his TV launching and the subsequent public response to his platform performances.

Mr Odlum, as Leader, has not yet indicated which seat he will contest. Since the establishment of the National Alliance, Odlum was said to have had his eyes on several seats, including Choiseul, Castries South East, Castries Central and Castries North. Insiders say his search is for a “sure seat” that would ensure his presence as a MP in the event of a close call necessitating an accommodation between winning candidates to replace the SLP.

Meanwhile, the ruling SLP last week completed its final run-off contest in Vieux Fort North, where incumbent Cecil Lay decimated his two challengers, none of who got ten votes.

The party last Sunday held a mammoth rally at the Richfond playing field, where several thousand Labourites converged on the East Coast venue for the event. Political Leader and Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony, in presenting his candidates for the December 3 poll, urged that they engage in a clean campaign free of insults and negative remarks.

He also called on Labour supporters to avoid complacency and ensure they come out to vote on Election Day.

Just hours before Sunday’s rally, the Prime Minister had addressed the nation and disclosed that parliament would be dissolved this week, Nominations Day would be November 23 and the general election will be on December 3.

November 13, 2001

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