[dropcap]I[/dropcap]was shocked to hear former prime minister Kenny Anthony had returned to his failed prognosis that the last general elections would be a contest between the Chastanet family and Anthony’s St. Lucia Labour party. There have been few moments when such asinine talk escapes the mouth of a purported political leader in the modern era, especially since the advent of social media. No political elections anywhere ought to be about one person, or one family. Fair and free elections between political parties are for the vision of development of one’s country. Obstacles in the way of such vision are to be removed so that the country can grow socially and economically, even politically. There is also the broader political ideology which should underpin a party’s approach to governance. This should be given as a choice to the electorate. In addition, there is much political education a leader needs to impart to a people still suffering from the abuses of its history. It is almost sinful for a leader to dwell on personalities, rather than on a deeper search in history, in sociology and in economics.
Herein lies Kenny Anthony’s classical dilemma. If the people were to listen to him and remove the Allen Chastanet government from office, to what should they return? Who or what would Anthony replace it with? Is Anthony actually pursuing a fourth term in office, to do for Vieux Fort what he did not in close to two years? Does he need another opportunity to explain Grynberg? Or does he need another term during which to account his handling of IMPACS with no input from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions? Oh yes, I get it, he likely wants to complete St. Jude Hospital, if only to appease his own conscience. But at what further cost to taxpayers? From my perspective, no more Kenny Anthony or SLP for the foreseeable future. Whatever the National Trust might say the House of Kenny is not worthy of preservation!
And speaking of National Trust, I visited the old prison site on Bridge Street three days after its demolition began. My word, I have never seen such filth in my entire life. The place has evidently been an open toilet for vagrants for decades. Also a dump for unspeakable filth. By police account, criminals have been using the premises for all kinds of activity. Prostitutes too. But the SLNT is so determined to preserve the remnants of a prison once described as “the black hole of Calcutta” that they somehow found a judge—on a Sunday!—to halt, if only temporarily, the demolition! I once toured Haiti with an FAO mission and as bad as things were there, I saw nothing to compare with what the SLNT suddenly wishes to declare a history site worthy of preserving.
It is clear that the opposition Labour party will stoop to whatever depths in its determination to obstruct the government at every turn. Chaos is its business. That has been the tactic of New Labour since 2007. It achieved little in government, even when the United Workers Party, in opposition, allowed it a free pass on almost every issue including the launching of CIP in Monaco. Yes, the CIP, which is the news these days, was secretly launched in Monaco, thousands of miles away from Saint Lucia, unknown to Saint Lucians. And not a dog barked! How many Saint Lucians, let alone the hacks in the Labour party, know where Monaco is? Can you imagine the hellfire these Labour hypocrites would’ve rained down on Chastanet’s head had he launched the CIP as Kenny Anthony launched it?
The Chastanet government wants to build a much needed courthouse. Initially the government considered building one on the site occupied by the Cultural Centre. The so-called cultural activists would have none of that. They said John Compton had bequeathed the property to them for their special purposes. Who knew John Compton was so generous? So an alternative site was found by people who know Castries better than any present politician or their backroom advisors. The old prison should have been demolished many years ago. It was not, thanks to government that lacked vision. Instead it was left to rot and become a health hazard for the police and residents of Castries, altogether neglected for decades by the SLNT. As for our spineless former prime minister, read Vernon Francois’ excellent book, “Restored Confidence”, and see why the former police commissioner described him as “weak”.
