On Monday June 6, 2016 Saint Lucians went to the polls and voted in a new government. The Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) led by Dr. Kenny Anthony won six seats, defeated by the United Workers Party (UWP) who won 11 seats. On Tuesday June 7, 2016 Allen Chastanet was sworn in as the prime minister of Saint Lucia, the seventh prime minister of Saint Lucia since 1979. He also became the first leader other than Sir John Compton to lead the UWP to victory.
In conceding defeat Monday evening, the leader of the SLP Dr. Kenny Anthony said that he would be stepping down as political leader of the SLP as well as Opposition leader. Anthony, who represented Vieux Fort – South won his seat. SLP Deputy Political leader Philip J. Pierre also retained the Castries East seat while Alva Baptiste (Laborie), Ernest Hilaire (Castries-South), Moses Jn Baptiste (Vieux Fort-North) and Shawn Edward (Dennery – South) won their respective seats.
The leader of the UWP Allen Chastanet secured 2,495 votes to his opponent’s 1,446 to win the Micoud South seat, while the biggest win for the night was in Gros-Islet, where former minister, Lenard ‘Spider’ Montoute defeated SLP’s Emma Hippolyte – winning 6,344 votes to her 4,552.
Former Prime Minister, Stephenson King won his Castries North seat by a massive margin for the UWP while newcomers, Dominic Fedee, Bradley Felix and Herod Stanislaus won the Anse La Raye/Canaries, Choiseul/ Saltibus and Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques seats respectively.
Former Ministers Sarah Flood-Beaubrun (Castries – Central), Edmund Estaphane (Dennery – North), Guy Joseph (Castries – South East) and Ezechiel Joseph (Babonneau) also won their respective constituencies.
“Yesterday you voted for change and the United Workers Party is ready to bing about the change you want,” Prime Minister Allen Chastanet said on Tuesday during the swearing in.
He went on to call on all Saint Lucians to set aside political, ethnic and all other barriers moving forward.
Allen did nothing but help all the poor people, Kenny took from the poor and sent taxes up on everyone how can you say he was better. The tax was not needed we just need the politicians to quite stealing from every contract and spend the money wisely and this country will be a whole better. Every contract let on the island would be 30-40% higher then what it should cost. You tell me this is not stealing form Lucians and poor?
Alva Alva Alva lets get you prepared.
A business man with a business plan, and it will all “trickle down”. A man that built HIS EMPIRE on the backs of poor and working class St Lucians. Well !! Let the games begin. The people have spoken.
Did he now? Why do we like unintelligent parrots like to repeat trash. Because I believe Allen can never feel the pain and misery of the poor, as he has never known want or poverty I never wanted Allen for my PM and I hoped that the party would win but he would lose so he doesn’t become PM. However, the people of Micoud made a choice. A wise one as among the candidates for that constituency he was the better in many respects. Now between Kenny Bernard and Allen whose family has built their fortune on the backs of the poor? Slave owners and finally plantation owners to now hoteliers are the Bernards, or so I learnt from way back when. Is is true? Is it documented fact? Now where did Michael start? His story is interesting to say the least but while I personal has my gripes with him I must say I admire his guts. As for Allen, well another Story, but I say better him than Kenny any day.