ANATOMY OF A ‘CONVENTION’

Conventions are traditionally purposed to be mainly a bringing together of the party faithful and invited guests where elected members of the party give an account of their stewardship, where elections for party positions are held, and the leader of the party spends his time enunciating his party’s policy platform. If he happens to be the head honcho of the country, then government’s doings would feature strongly in order to give the country an up-to-date picture of its government’s policies and plans. There is often entertainment thrown in as well at these events. On the whole, the event is supposed to be an elevating upbeat one, an event to make the party look good to its members and in no small measure to those on the outside, in an effort to attract favourable ratings and more followers.

Well, the Labour Party obviously never got this universal memo because the political bloodshed which we heard coming from the lips of the party leader and Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Kenny D. Anthony as he declared war on a Saint Lucian family – the Chastanet family – was disgusting and distasteful to the majority of viewers across all social strata. It was unusual for the main man at a convention to devote so much of his time and energy and voice to emphasize with all the hate he could muster, that the SLP is not only against one Chastanet but against the Chastanet family. What kind of talk is that from a Prime Minister?

All of that combined with the anger which was on display said to viewers that Kenny Anthony is truly obsessed with Allen Chastanet who by and large does not seem to take him on. There should be plenty of time for that though, we hope.

We saw also that KDA’s sustained anger and aggressiveness were matched by his imported prop, the PM of St. Kitts, with all of his own baggage and whose leadership hangs in the balance whilst he continues to delay convening a sitting of Parliament. Always importing some character to prop him up and try and make him look good. No doubt, as elections draw nearer, Saint Lucians can again look forward to another set of appearances by the Lebanese pedlar from Dominica, the Saint Lucian leader’s chosen advocate, who has become a millionaire at Saint Lucia’s expense from insulting us all over the place: in the newspapers, over the airwaves and on the TV. And we have let him have his way.

What to make of the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, the master of hypocrisy and arrogance, a full-fledged dictator trying unsuccessfully to hide that fact? We say this because of the many high-handed actions which he takes. For example, breaking land usage laws to suit himself (Coubaril) and, amongst other incidents, trying to dock civil servants’ pay by 5% just like that without even the courtesy of any warning or discussion.

We as a nation owe a great debt of thanks to Ms. Mary Isaac and her team, who saved the day – one strong lady who can wrap Kenny around her little finger any day.

We say he is a dictator in theory and practice because of his divide and rule actions and words, his inability to brook any opposition or simple difference of opinion (ref. Ubaldus Raymond), no matter how mild. He must not be challenged by anyone. He has got so used to always having his way with his cabinet of scared rabbits who are toothless before him, every last one of them, that by now he believes it is his God-given right.

But let us return to the ‘’convention’’ and the SLP’s chosen entertainment for this event, which was so base. A racist calypso about whites (was he talking about his own father there?), a song criticizing Ambassador Chou, his nemesis, even as he continues to grab all the generous handouts from Mr Chou’s country. How does Ambassador Chang feel about that, we wonder. And what about that so called skit out of the ‘brain’ of the highly paid gofer, Christopher Hunte? It could not rise above simply mocking their opposites in the UWP. Such cheap ‘talent’ can come out of a crab hole, from anyone, anywhere. It does not take any brains or creativity to come up with that brand of ‘humour’. Is that the kind of theatre the Creative Industries is packaging and pushing?

Then of course we were bombarded with Kenny Anthony’s newest song, ‘’Alba Bridge, Alba Bridge’’. You would have thought with all the negative press he has faced about overpriced bridges, he might have stayed away from that theme.

Prime Minister, our people cannot eat bridges. Our Saint Lucians are hungry, demoralized and desperate, and all we can hear is “Another Alba Bridge” from his Alba comrades, all leftist dictators in their own countries. A huge loan from Venezuela, a Venezuela which is on the brink of collapse but for the fact that it is ruled over by a dictatorship which many fear, and which keeps its people quiet without any freedom just like all the other dictators who are the friends of Kenny; is this what we want for Saint Lucia? Because that is exactly the road which he wants to take us down.

Open your eyes, Saint Lucia. Do you remember Kenny’s words of some years ago? He said that his idols in the region are Fidel, the late Michael Manley, Chavez and Forbes Burnham, the latter two, as history will attest, having brought their countries to their knees. Mr. Castro is of course in a class of his own, not without admirable features but reigning over a country which is not at all free, where citizens cannot hold opinions of their own, which are in any way contrary to the established line. No Saint Lucians, not even those who pretend to be lovers of Castro would want to live in such a country. But these are all the people he said are his idols. ‘’Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.’’

Our continuing decline is happening so quickly and not letting up, with the worsening policies and practices of the Labour-led government under Kenny Anthony and his sidekick, Jadia Jn. Pierre.

Together, with his cabinet they already have us down the tubes. We include the lady because she is dangerous by the fact of being so ardent and convincing in propping up her boss, come hell or high water. Wake up fellowmen and fellow women! Wake up! Are you quiet because you are just waiting to exhale? That’s what we are told and we are proud of you independent thinking young people who are ready and waiting to give yourself a chance at a better future.

You told us you saw what looked like a scared Prime Minister because only someone who is really scared could let himself be carried away and speak the words and ideas which emanated from him for all the world to decry, openly targeting his fellow citizens. Pardon us, Kenny Anthony, but your vindictiveness and vengefulness were clearly on display. This was not the market steps after all.

This warlike talk from the Prime Minister of our nation, Saint Lucia, was at a national convention. To expose yourself like that just shows what we all already know, that you believe you are a law unto yourself (Grynberg) and the rest be damned. This is nothing less than reckless conduct from a head of state.

A Prime Minister who cannot be trusted, you make a habit of going back on your word time and time again. There are many examples but let us consider the latest: one more time, no stepping down after three years. No way. It was just something you said. You are going nowhere. You are staying put to plunge us into further untold misery and hardship. Arrogance has no bounds. Our little country is doomed.

People of Saint Lucia, Kenny D. Anthony divides and rules and that weapon is guaranteed to keep him in power, especially when those who surround him are unable to open their mouths. Have we ever before had a Cabinet with Ministers so totally unable to make any decisions on their own or to speak out against the destructive policies of their leader?

If we are to get the change that you say we want, then we must all unite against that conceited force who thinks the country belongs to him. Let us give the women a chance, let us give the young people a chance, let us give those whom Kenny hates and is fearful of, a chance. It is quite clear that the leader of this country is without any credibility.

He says one thing today and the opposite tomorrow. Remember Bingo’s song, Kenny and Tony? Truer words have never been spoken.

How can we trust Kenny? Remember when Richard Frederick was the most dangerous thing to ever happen to Saint Lucian politics? Today Kenny approves of him no end. He is being featured in Nationwide and quoted here, there and everywhere by Labour. Where is the credibility? Well, he’d better know that we know that he knows that we know.

So, that was what passed for the 2014 SLP ‘convention’.

Think about it well. Who is the one who is clearly hungry for power? We have that question and a whole lot more for the SLP leader and Prime Minister of Saint Lucia. Look at the mess we are in today and all the SLP can send our way is their bag of dirty tricks. Fellow Saint Lucians, let us come together and unite against Kenny’s divide and rule, because we are all in this mess together, whether UWP, SLP or LPM.