As the dust swirled and the scorching sun beat down on the sweaty brows of those in attendance, it occurred to me that the coarse environment of the St. Jude highway was an odd stage for all the finely attired players who had made their way to this relatively remote part of Vieux Fort. The long-awaited sod-turning ceremony of the St. Jude reconstruction project, ten years after the tragic fire, was about to commence. The star guest was President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China (Taiwan), fresh off from her visit to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Seated next to her was Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, accompanied by Health Minister Mary Isaac, and Economic Development Minister Guy Joseph, who opened proceedings. “It is indeed a momentous occasion to stand here today,” he said, “though with very mixed feelings about where we are.”
Apparently it was not so momentous as to attract the invited House opposition leader Philip J Pierre, who explained the evident snub at his party’s weekly press conference that coincided with the Wednesday morning ceremony in Vieux Fort.
“As it was for the Independence celebrations,” said Pierre, “as it was for the appointment of the Integrity Commission, as it was for the appointment of the Public Service Commission, and Teaching Service Commission, I have not been asked, whether by writing or verbally, to have any official engagement with the President of Taiwan. As a matter of courtesy, I was invited to attend a state banquet tonight. I was also invited to attend the so-called sod-turning ceremony at St. Jude which, as a party, we will not attend because we think it’s an embarrassment to the President of Taiwan. So, we are not going to attend any ceremony that we think is an embarrassment to the president of any country.”
Considering its history with Taiwanese ambassador Tom Chou, what a relief to discover the new SLP leader harboured such loving feelings for the country’s president! Pierre need not have worried. Whatever her feelings as she sat with the prime minister, they obviously did not include embarrassment. Indeed, at the ceremony she reassured the nation that “exchanges between Taiwan and Saint Lucia have grown closer over the past two years, as Prime Minister Chastanet has visited Taiwan three times and today I am delighted to be visiting Saint Lucia for the first time at the invitation of the Prime Minister”.
The SLP had an explanation for that too. Former External Affairs Minister and current Laborie MP Alva Baptiste declared, presumably without “lubricants for diplomatic intercourse”, that “it must never be misconstrued as a symptom of happiness, the visit by the President of Taiwan. One of the expressions that is commonly used in the diplomatic world, and you see that in literature all the time: as a diplomat you must suffer fools gladly.”
He did not say how many fools he had suffered in his time, nor who had suffered whom. To the above, he added this hypothetical situation: “Even though a country may not be entirely happy with the manner in which you manoeuvre, they will respect your sovereignty, they will respect your territorial integrity. But they are going to note the indiscretions in the country, notwithstanding. And if there was an improved framework for them to contribute significantly more official development assistance, they will not increase it, if it is a situation of wastage.” Did he have ambassador Tom Chou in mind?
Some may well have felt Pierre was determined to avoid any reminders of his party’s failure to complete the Vieux Fort project during his last five years in government. Which returns us to Guy Joseph and his “mixed feelings” about the momentous St. Jude reconstruction sod-turning ceremony. “The reason is primarily because this project should have been completed a long time ago,” he acknowledged. “For many reasons known and unknown, this hospital project remains incomplete after 10 years.”
The prime minister echoed Joseph’s sentiment: “The initial attempt at reconstruction has not, we regret to say, been successful. In fact, it has produced very disappointing results.” He pronounced also that “the town of Vieux Fort needs and deserves a modern hospital to serve this southern part of the island. And this is what we’re embarking on today. This project must be completed once and for all.”
In expressing gratitude to President Tsai and the people of Taiwan, he stated: “It is fitting, Mde President, that the first official engagement of your visit should be taking place in the part of the island which has been the focus of my government, and to see it become a major centre of development in the coming years.”
A time frame for the hospital’s completion was not given on the day. Nevertheless: “I would like to place on record my government’s appreciation for the patience and cooperation of the doctors, nurses and the staff of St. Jude during these very difficult ten years, and to promise them that we are now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.” Hopefully it won’t be long before Saint Lucians arrive at the end of the tunnel itself!
