Pierre says there is no leadership struggle and the SLP will prevail despite “treachery and traitors”

The Saint Lucia Labour Party’s (SLP) political leader has declared that the party will prevail although it has faced treachery and traitors. Addressing party faithful at the Castries South Annual General Meeting on Sunday, Philip J. Pierre indicated that some individuals believe that Ernest Hilaire will fight with him to become the leader. He remains confident that there will be no leadership struggle: “Everyday they try to put division in our party. Every single second! And why must you try to cause division in our party? Why? Because you are afraid! You are afraid of the SLP.”

Pierre stated that every Saint Lucian should strive to become the prime minister and every member of the SLP should want to be its leader. “But for now, there is only one leader and that leader is Philip J. Pierre,” he said. “And that is what all these men and women have agreed to. So tell them that our party have no leadership struggle, our party will have no fight. The only fight our party will have is the fight to get rid of Allen Chastanet from the government of Saint Lucia. That’s the only fight we’ll have and that’s our focus.”

Pierre also stated that the Labour Party has suffered from treachery and traitors but the party will prevail. “We have survived the treachery, we have survived the traitors and this party will prevail. So I have no fear. I have absolutely no fear! And when they tell you about new blood, I want to tell them that this party is constantly evolving with new blood. But that new blood has to be disciplined and it has to be principled.”

He pointed out that Ernest Hilaire had to go through the entire selection process before becoming a candidate in 2016. Although Hilaire is now an MP, Pierre says he still had to go through the process this year to become a candidate for the upcoming election. The SLP’s leader stated that this applies for all other MPs. “Because we understand the value of structure and the value of principle in our party,” he said. “So we invite everyone who has a role to play to join our party, but you cannot join our party unless you agree to the principles of our party and the discipline of our party.

Pierre’s comments came one day before Dr. Alphonsus St. Rose announced that he will be contesting the next general election as an independent candidate. St. Rose had hoped to contest Choiseul on an SLP ticket but the party endorsed Dr. Pauline Antoine-Prospere. St. Rose alleges that the party’s candidate selection process was “rigged, manipulated, and contaminated.” He says that the integrity of the process was tainted, and has called on the SLP’s leader to make a full public disclosure of the facts surrounding the matter.

“Most of the Labour supporters in the constituency have rejected the party’s decision which they rightly deem an assault on their freedom of choice and expression, an affront on fairness, due process, and justice,” said Dr St. Rose in a statement this week, taking the leadership to task. “The SLP must recognize that when its choice of candidate conflicts with the choice of most of their constituency supporters, it is the will of the constituents that should prevail.”