FLASHBACK:The STAR Newspaper – December 11, 1993 A Daughter of Soufriere Speaks out on The Emma Hippolyte Issue

We the women of Soufriere are ready to deal with John Compton for the way he has treated out beloved daughter, sister, mother, aunty and comforter, Emma Hippolyte. We are deeply hurt by your action, Mr. Compton because Emma belongs to a community which has given birth to many great sons and daughters who continue to serve St. Lucia well. Emma is our Derek Walcott. We gave her a Nobel Prize for being the first woman from Soufriere to serve in the post of Director of Audit. Should you not take us seriously, we could ask our top sons and daughters of Civil Service, Chamber of Commerce, yes, also our engineers, to come home. Bet your life we are a force to reckon with; to respect!

Why did you touch Emma, John Compton? If you don’t like hard-working and honest people then try a next number. Maybe “666” will suit you. What has Soufriere done to you, Compton? Do you want us to ask our Piton strong chief judge Suzie to start passing sentences on you? Find out more about our Suzie. You’ll find Soufriere people are not afraid of hard work and we can perform.

We the women of Soufriere urge St. Lucians to start looking around for serious people like Emma Hippolyte to serve and represent their community. Send them to Emma and Suzie for screening before you give them your votes. We have to save St. Lucia from Compton and his foreigners. St. Lucia is a small country but has been able to product two Nobel Prize winners; which goes to show St. Lucians can manage their own affairs. “Vincie time done.”

Every election we have to vote somebody else because we keep looking for change, but what? You don’t know us when election done. You treat our beloved Edward Innocent like bumper and master, destroying our public square and putting us in chains. Soufriere was named the beautiful garden of St. Lucia by Mrs. Heraldine Rock but your neglect for our town has made it look like a beautifully ugly Canouanian rock-face in which a young innocent little school girl named Jessica saw a Cinderella future.

Well Mr. Prime Minister, we the women of Soufriere are ready to give St. Lucia its first woman prime minister- the local iron lady- Aunty Emma. Maybe you don’t know how much Emma means to our children. She is not selfish, hoggish, dishonest or corrupt. Emma is kind, loving, honest and understands suffering. You never took care of our children, John Compton. But Emma takes care of the needy. Emma has a blessed heart which hates corruption but she was too good for you, John Compton.

We the people of Soufriere will unite as one family and create the biggest victory in any election. We are tired of changing people every five years. We will also take our beloved son Edward Innocent away from this ministry for women’s affairs that’s headed by a wife beater. How dare you make our son a junior to this kind of minister? We are not part of the 4J’s.

You insulted the voices of the great sons and daughters of this country and went ahead to sell out our Pitons to foreigners, now you want Malgretoute, next it will be the Sulphur Springs! Mr. Compton, when you touched Emma you fell into the wrong Sulphur Spring pool – “this part is not for bathing”. Ask Emma, she knows about accountability.

St. Lucia, we are ready to give you a woman who can make life better for us because she is blessed. Our iron lady will have no part of a government comprising Odlums, Josies, Louis Georges. Nor wife beaters. Nor self-praising Lansiquots. Nor poor performing Avrils, dead kings, big money attorney generals, don’t know agriculture ministers, too much business Mallets- and a daddy who likes only little girls.

Lucians get ready, ‘cause Soufriere is ready to give you your first female prime minister.