Nation put on Elections 2001Alert - November 6, 2001

by Earl Bousquet

There were several developments this past week, including a last-minute decision not to cut banana prices and a letter of thanks to the Prime Minister and people of St. Lucia from US President George W. Bush. But clearly, the most significant item in the news over the past seven days was the announcement by the Prime Minister that general Elections will definitely take place this year.

            Earlier in the week, the Prime Minister had traveled to neighbouring St. Vincent for an emergency meeting, summoned by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves at the request of his St. Lucia counterpart to discuss a plan by WIBDECO to cut banana prices by half to recover losses resulting from failure to meet quota obligations on the European market.

            On his return, Dr Anthony announced WIBDECO had accepted a proposal put to the meeting to scrap the price cut plan for the rest of this year. He explained that there were other ways WIBDECO would have been able to raise the needed capital, including sale of banana marketing licenses.

            Dr Anthony said the staved-off price cut would be welcome news for the island’s farmers, but he urged them to take the opportunity to increase production so that market quotas and quality standards could be met.

            On his immediate return from St. Vincent, the Prime Minister also got the bad news about the delayed re-opening of Club Med at Vieux Fort. He said it was a disappointment for him, especially as many of the over 300 workers affected are from Vieux Fort South, the constituency he represents in Parliament.

            Dr Anthony said he shared the view of National Workers Union (NWU) President General Mr Tyronne Maynard that relations between the hotel’s owners and managers, the union and government, had always been cordial and hoped to meet Mr Maynard soon to discuss the immediate future of the workers and the hotel.

            The hotel had just renovated its premises for the upcoming winter season, when the September 11 events forced the parent company to review its projected plans internationally. As a result, some 17 Club Med properties worldwide had their re-openings postponed, including two others in the Caribbean, one in neighbouring Martinique.

Last week, the Prime Minister received a letter from the President of the United States of America thanking him, the government and people of St. Lucia for their solidarity and support after the terrorist attacks of September 11.

President Bush said the United States had recorded two St. Lucians among the thousands still missing and pledged America would continue its war on those responsible for the attack.

            In other news from the aftershock of September 11, the St. Lucia Hotel & Tourism Association (SLHTA) last week announced it had sealed a deal with the island’s public utility companies to cut prices and in other ways ease the burden on hotels and ordinary citizens alike.

SLHTA President Berthia Parle declined to offer details, but said the electricity, water and telephone companies involved had agreed to consider a package of measures that would be shared with the public generally.

The meetings between the SLHTA and the utilities took place at the Prime Minister’s Office, as a result of his direct role in facilitating the discussions between them.

            The National Conservation Authority (NCA) last launched the latest phase of its National beautification Programme with another 1,600 St. Lucians starting work at scores of areas around the island.

            Thursday’s launching saw the number of jobs provided by the NCA since the STEP programme was initiated reach almost 10,000. According to official figures, at the end of the last phase, the NCA had provided some 3,587 jobs for mix-skilled workers and 4,000 through the beautification programme. With the 1,600 added last week, the number of jobs provided altogether now stands at a whopping 9,187.

            There was good news from the Caribbean region in the past week regarding the performance of local private and public sector companies.

On Monday, it was announced that the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) had once more won for St. Lucia the prestigious honour of being declared the best container port in the Caribbean by the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA).

It was the fourth time the award for most efficient container handling and turnaround port had come to St. Lucia.

Just days earlier, it had been announced that local toilet tissue manufacturers Tolyn Limited had won an international prize for its products. Head of the Vieux Fort-based tissue paper manufacturing plant, Mr Tony Charles, said the company won a Golden Award in its category for the marketing of its products.

A few days earlier as well, M&C, one of the island’s oldest family-owned businesses, was also voted the Best Employer in the Region by the Caribbean Employers Confederation.

Commerce Minister Philip J. Pierre over the weekend heaped praise on the members of the Marchand Women’s League for their role in the building of a new human resource development centre in the Entrepot area.

He said the women had saved over a long period and were finally able to realize a long-held dream through community efforts and with government assistance.

The ceremony took place just around the same time that the staff of the Women’s Support Unit of the Gender Affairs Division of the Ministry of Gender Relations were taking their oaths of secrecy. The St. Lucia Crisis Centre was also engaged in a retreat at the same time, to discuss its history and achievements and to plan ahead.

The Jeanice Francis Memorial Foundation was also launched over the weekend, with an entertainment activity at the Vigie Sports Complex.

            There was also an announcement this past week that efforts are under way to institutionalize the operation of pre-schools.

            But by far the most significant development this past week was the Prime Minister’s announcement at last Sunday’s Labour Party Conference.

            The SLP Leader, addressing thousands of cheering, election-ready supporters at Gros Islet, said the election “will be called before December 31, 2001.”

            The announcement came as no surprise to many who expected him to announce the exact date, but the Prime Minister exercised his option to make the announcement at another time. In the meantime, he called on the opposing parties to get their act together so that there could be discussion and debate on issues during the campaign.

            The announcement has been met with a mixture of apprehension and reservation by the opposition parties. The UWP met in caucus all of the next day (Monday) and National Alliance Leader George Odlum maintained that he was not surprised.

            Both UWP and the National Alliance spokespersons have commented on their respective parties’ chances, with Sir John Compton saying the UWP would not lose support as a result of the breakaway by Odlum’s faction and Odlum saying “an Alliance without Mr Compton” would stand a better chance of replacing the SLP.

            UWP Leader Dr Morella Joseph said her party’s campaign was “finally” launched last week after having lost much time. She told a Boulevard meeting in Castries last Thursday evening she had to pull the UWP out of the Alliance because the two principal leaders – Sir John and Odlum – were causing much “confusion” in the minds of UWP supporters.

            In the meantime, Mr Odlum also targeted Vincentian Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves for attack this past week. On Monday, he accused the Vincentian Prime Minister of interfering in local politics, after Dr Gonsalves said there was no alternative to the Labour Party in the upcoming electoral race.

             There was news out of the UWP camp this past week too, that a rift may be developing between Leader of the Opposition Louis George and the UWP’s leadership over Peter Josie’s senatorship. Members of the party are calling for the senatorship to be taken away from the renegade former Vieux Fort MP, but according to the reports the Opposition Leader, who makes the appointments, isn’t going along.

Earlier, Mr Josie had responded to media inquiries about the possibility of the UWP revoking his senatorial appointment by reminding the inquiring reporters that he “was appointed by the Opposition Leader, and not by the party.”

Mr Josie, who is now back with Mr Odlum -- this time in their breakaway faction of the Alliance -- this past week also made a passionate plea for St. Lucians to “give George Odlum a chance” to become Prime Minister. He said that when compared to Prime Minister Anthony and the UWOP Leader, Mr Odlum was the one most deserving of being prime minister.

Meanwhile, as the ruling party goes to the starting gate, the opposition groups are already beginning the process of identification of what may very well turn out to be their reasons and explanations for defeat in the aftermath of the elections later this year. They accused the SLP of having more financial resources for the campaign – that, while even the SLP’s most strident media critics publicly admit that its level of organization continues to be far superior to that so far displayed by either the UWP or the National Alliance.

And as the country speeds towards the election date, Chief Elections Officer Carson Raggie reassured inquiring reporters that his department was ready for a snap election and will continue with its preparations until the Prime Minister announces the actual date of this year’s general elections.

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