Concerned that our nation is headed down a slippery slope in terms of its economic prospects, compounded by the daily occurrence of violent criminal activities, social indiscipline and worries over whether our healthcare system is sufficiently equipped to deal with the deadly diseases that have the potential to arrive on our shores, the Lucian People’s Movement (LPM) has issued a call to Saint Lucia’s silent majority to wake up and finally become a part of the country’s political discourse.
In these current times of great despair and uncertainty, no right-thinking Saint Lucian should accept the status quo, which ostensibly implies that the responsibility of the Saint Lucian citizen is simply to cast a vote for competing political organisations in every election. Our people cannot continue to suffer in silence for the duration of an entire five-year period, as the inner circle of the governing party and the select few enjoy the spoils of victory without any concern for the ordinary Saint Lucian’s struggle to survive.
The LPM argues that, inasmuch as both past and present elected officials are grossly responsible for our island’s economic paralysis and have contributed immensely to the rapid deterioration of the social and moral fabric of our nation, we, the wider population, must also accept our share of responsibility for remaining largely silent even as the country teeters on the brink of social and economic collapse.
When you cede the responsibility to protect your own future, and that of the country, to a handful of biased and self-interested political operatives or hacks, who flood the airwaves and social media with messages that aim to convince you that what the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government is delivering to our country is sufficient and that you should remain largely silent and count your blessings, then you have essentially accepted their dominance over your lives as well as the precarious direction in which the country is currently headed.
The LPM insists that there is a way out for Saint Lucia; however, this requires a conscious effort on the part of the silent majority who are embedded deep within the bosom of our nation to recognise the enormous power they wield. Moreover, unless they are willing to adopt an independent, liberated mindset and become capable of demanding a better quality of life for themselves and their children, then we are essentially doomed as a nation.
The LPM concludes that Saint Lucia needs a broader national agenda that promotes the inclusion of all Saint Lucians, thereby ensuring that our nation is capable of presenting a united front in tackling the myriad problems that we face. The way forward for our country cannot be a willingness to accept the SLP’s narrow agenda, its status as an exclusive club for the select few and its wish for the people of Saint Lucia never to discover how deficient it has been in its understanding of their suffering.
Have we (St Lucians) seen anything different in the governance of this country in the last 20 years that fairly deserve a “WOW” – clearly the Labour and Flambeau recycle leaders have reach the level of incompetence, and also considering that they have failed us for the last 70 years, it is time to see something new, different and energetic.
As noble as this call for action sounds I believe it needs to be supported by policy recommendations, strategies for implementation and a system of accountability. Our strength not only comes with our vote but our ability to constantly be involved in the governing process through our system of checks and balances. We have gone back and forth between two mediocre parties which to understand the repercussions of their parochial views and actions. There is no perfect government but we have the right to demand a better one, one that is more inclusive, genuine and believes in public service and national prosperity for all. I believe that our country is only successful when the most disadvantaged in society have access to the resources and opportunities needed not only to survive but to thrive.