[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a November 2014 article, I suggested the St. Lucia Labour Party had good reason to love and admire Allen Chastanet. I deemed it expedient that my message be repeated and expanded to include disgruntled others with no party affiliation. Such persons see the leader of the UWP as their barrier to the national treasury. They are therefore determined to discredit the prime minister, in the hope the electorate will believe their lies. In their desperate bid for government they accuse the PM of being a non-politician, incoherent and without university degrees. These ‘smart’ men ought to be told that a non-politician who understands business and management is exactly what Saint Lucia needs for economy recovery and growth.
These lost wannabe megalomaniacs who imagine themselves more important than the electorate will say and do anything to get rid of Allen Chastanet. They are afraid of confronting him in free and fair elections, so they try and muddy the political waters with a vote of no confidence in the prime minister. They are also determined to steal the good name and legacy of former UWP leader Sir John Compton, aided and abetted by failed former UWPs. Those who once plotted Sir John’s demise now flatter and pander to the Compton family that secretly they despise. They hypocritically unveil a stone monument in Sir John’s memory but the people see them for what they are: hypocrites, imitators and imposters. They serve further to turn young citizens away from politics.
Throughout their campaigns they promised better days but their obvious lack of talent prevented delivery. They secretly depend on the Chastanet family to deliver the better days by creating jobs and caring for the especially needy, even as they plot to sabotage the efforts of the government. Meanwhile they depend for survival on handouts from dubious sources. The details of their not so secret arrangements will one day spill from their own mouths as, typically, they turn on one another.
In the meantime, Saint Lucia should ponder the following facts: Allen Chastanet voluntarily gave up his United States citizenship when he decided to run for political office. He faithfully served under Prime Minister Compton who appointed him Senator and Minister of Tourism. Allen Chastanet supported the government of Prime Minister Stephenson King, following the passing of Sir John Compton. We note here that Chastanet has never asked anyone to vote for him because he needed politics to make him rich and important. He certainly does not need politics to complete his persona or to make him a man. How many of his opponents in the SLP or in pseudo-political organisations can say that? How many politicians can confidently bare their soul to public viewing? How many are prepared to put country before self?
The SLP ought also to cherish and admire Allen Chastanet for his conservatism and willingness to dialogue. Such open conservatism is commonsense and rare in those new to politics, especially in a post-colonial society. He appears to have no need to show off or to pretend he is what he is not, which is more than can be said about some of his more vociferous opponents. He makes no secret of his conviction that economic growth comes mostly from private sector investments and that to create jobs and expand the tax base, government must encourage the private sector. Chastanet has promised to encourage private sector investment even as his government embarks on public-sector infrastructure development.
On closer observation, one is persuaded that Allen Chastanet is no radical; neither does he pretend to be. He is more in the mould of former Prime Ministers Allen Lewis and Allan Louisy. He certainly is no George Odlum. Or, I dare to say, Peter Josie or George Charles. Neither is he another John Compton, for that matter. Had Chastanet inherited more of his mother’s Irish blood, who is to say he would not by this time have reacted as the Irish tend to in the face of threats to himself and his family? Those who find reason to complain about his skin tone should instead sing hallelujah. Allen is more like Papa Chas, a most amiable conservative Creole multi-millionaire.
Politicians rise to power by promising to make life better for their people. They beg for the people’s trust. Too bad some of them make promises they know they will never deliver. Such politicians should keep in mind that disaffection with a ruling regime can fuel anger and discontent and help usher a new leader into office with his truckload of promises. At the moment, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet is proving he can deliver on his election promises despite the impediments placed in his way by mindless saboteurs who know the consequences of spitting at the sky. I say in support of Allen Chastanet: Forward ever, backward never!
