Tricky
time for St Lucia
Trinidad Guardian
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
05 27 07
St Lucia has landed in a fix five months after
electing the 82-year-old Sir John Compton to office.
It is reported that after having suffered a stroke,
the veteran leader of the United Workers Party
is unlikely to immediately resume his seat in Parliament
and the political leadership of the country.
The best projections are that, depending on his
recuperation, a decision will be made in due time.
In the meantime, at least three cabinet ministers
have started selling themselves as being likely
to take over the job from Sir John.
The
St Lucian leader has had a distinguished political
career, having first been elected premier in 1964.
And having retired from politics he returned in
the election of December last to score an upset
victory over Kenny Anthony’s St Lucia Labour
Party, the SLP having been in office for two full
terms of ten years.
Sir John is reported to have already met with
the minister he left in charge, Stevenson King,
who has projected himself least of the three.
Of
course it was most appropriate of Sir John to
have met with the acting Prime Minister, but
the political pundits in St Lucia are already seeing
it as an indication of Sir John’s choice
if he is not able to return to office.
The two other contenders for the job, Ministers
Leonard Montoute and Rufus Bosquet, are obviously
waiting in the wings to contest for the job.
But
there is said to be another quiet contender,
Ausbert D’Auverengne. The word is that he
was being groomed by Sir John for when he intended
to depart in two years. If Sir John determines
to leave, it’s expected that Mr D’Auverengne,
who is now Minister of Planning, could contest
the seat left vacant and so be in line to take
over the government.
But the possibilities do not end there. Opposition
Leader Dr Kenny Anthony, after allowing a dignified
period to past after Sir John fell ill, is now
insisting that fresh general elections be called.
His argument is that the electorate did not select
any of the contenders as prime minister and so
they should all leave and ask the electorate to
once again vote for its preference.
Whatever
the contentions within the UWP for Sir John’s
position, it is quite unlikely that the ruling
party would give up the healthy 11-6
majority in the House of Representatives to once
again face the polls.
And perhaps the UWP would be right not to give
up its just-won victory. Moreover, giving up office
will mean the electorate going back to the polls
just months after having been there.
Such a position is supported by the Westminster
system where it is the Parliament that has to make
a selection on who is to be prime minister from
amongst the MPs elected to the House.
The danger is for the the ruling party to lose
focus on the job mere months after being in office
and after the controversy over the recognition
of Taiwan, much to the annoyance of the Chinese
Government. There is also the criminal drug trafficking
element which could use this period of doubt to
advance its operations in St Lucia.
Without interfering in the internal politics of
the country, Caricom as a group has to keep a close
watch on developments to offer direction if need
be.
Trinidad
Guardian
Wednesday 23rd May, 2007
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©2007 Trinidad Guardian. All Rights Reserved.
