Opposition leader Allen Chastanet, who announced plans for a peaceful protest on Tuesday, November 1, declared that there would be no change if citizens continued to sit idly by and urged them to let their voices be heard.
“Our silence is being interpreted by this labour party as support. And while there are many Saint Lucians who I meet and say: ‘Well, I am going to wait for the day of election’, that’s too long,” the former Prime Minister asserted.
Chastanet spoke during a news conference on Monday
“We’d better let our voices be heard,” the United Workers Party (UWP) leader declared.
Chastanet’s incumbent party lost all but two of its 11 seats in the 17-seat House of Assembly after the July 26, 2021, general elections.
However, he said twenty-six percent of the eligible voters elected the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP).
As a result, he indicated that seventy-four percent either did not vote for the SLP or did not vote.
“If you don’t allow your voices not to be heard at this particular time, we’re in trouble and I for one will be standing in front of the line,” the Micoud South MP told reporters.
On Facebook last week, Chastanet invited citizens who are fed up with the SLP’s ‘ incompetence and abuse of power’ to join Tuesday’s protest from 8:30 am at Derek Walcott Square.
He called attention to the bad roads, the high cost of living, the out-of-control crime rate, the incomplete St. Jude Hospital, the ‘sale of Port Castries and Soufriere waterfront’, and all the social issues created by the SLP administration.
However, during Monday’s news conference, he also raised the matter of recent comments by House of Assembly Speaker Claudius Francis during his television talk show.
Francis had urged labour party supporters to fight fire with fire.
“You see me right now, I taking them head-on,” he said.
“No more Mr. Nice Guy. You want to interfere with me, and I keep telling you I don’t care when I’m fighting if my opponent is a giant or a dwarf. I am fighting with all the ammunition at my disposal – all. I (am)not saying because he is a dwarf, let me use a catapult, and because he is a giant, I will use a bazooka. Dwarf to giant getting bazooka,” Francis had declared.
Chastanet said he would not refer to the Speaker’s comments in parliament or question decisions Francis makes in the House of Assembly since that would be inappropriate.
But he described it as a declaration of war against UWP members, remarks Francis made during his recent television show.
“If the Speaker did not remember, let me remind him that I am an MP elected under the banner of the United Workers Party. I also happen to be the leader of the United Workers Party,” Chastanet stated.
“When he says he is going to come after people of the United Workers Party with a bazooka, that I would not include myself?” The UWP leader said.
He questioned whether Francis could be impartial and how, as a Speaker, he had dealt with the House Privileges Committee matter.
“I know the House is who has to fire him, but if he is a better person and he genuinely cares about the democracy and the image of Saint Lucia he would do the right thing and resign,” Chastanet declared.
In this regard, the UWP leader stated that Tuesday’s planned protest would allow people to show up and declare that the ‘ayes have it’.
“This is the first step, and if, in fact, the Speaker cannot see it fit to resign himself we have seen historically that another Speaker who, despite the evidence and had the support of the House remained in the House,” he recalled.
“It was the people’s parliament that caused him to resign,” Chastanet told reporters.
“We need to begin that process,” he said.
Politicians are such clowns
Rolling in the floor laughing hahaha ah… So chastanet when you called the people barking dogs……..n let the donkeys brawy.. Etc….They didn’t ask you to resign n u didn’t see it fit to resign..Claudius Francis you damn right. Chastanet go n sit in a corner n passe your chaplet with your rubbish protest……..n who in their right mind will go n make themselves shame with the likes of you in a protest…..man sit your ass down eh
Are we going ti get the 7 3 million dollars you gave for the vaccine? How many passports were sold under your prime Ninistership?
I will be there. As a supporter of this present government I never expected to see so much hardship under a government I supported for so many years. They have made it hard for us Vendors at the view point in Dennery after hardly any tourist stopping there, we suffer so much during covid and first thing my government did was to raise the rent for the little booth on the view point to $700 a month. That is really hard when some days not even 50 we selling and on top of that the electricity and water bill high. That is not putting people first at all.
You were never a supporter . Stop fooling yourself!
Chastanet left a legacy of corruption during his reign of terror. In addition, he has a penchant for stating lies. He is feeding his gullible followers a restrictive diet of propaganda and disinformation, it’s not hyperbole. Take a closer look at Chastanet and you will see a man who is a fake, phony and fraud. He will do whatever it takes to advance his selfish agenda even at the expense of the St. Lucian people. People don’t allow an opportunistic charlatan and a narcissistic be your leader. Leadership comes from the people and not impose upon them.
Yes, we have troubling high inflation. But other indicators point to a much more favorable picture. As inflation subsides worldwide so will it in St. Lucia. Let us not be detracted by a dimwit provocateur. What plan does Chastanet have to reduce inflation?
Go and protest those that can that is our right I’m very disappointed in pjp administration
What!!!!! 700 a month? Goodness. I passed on Sunday and the place was a mess……it is not even well mainta8ned for that money. Whoever is responsible is not doing a good job……..where is the money going. Plus $2 to use the toilet so that pays for itself so what are they doing with the money collected for rent? SMH. What a shame
I am disappointed too. My child needs to go to school at Micoud Secondary but school can’t open full time yet and every week is the same story……..the ministry of education don’t care about us in Mixoud. We miss Gale and Chas
Wooie woooie woooie I not pumping no brakes I just mashing gas.
I deh early. My party disappoint me big time I regret voting for them……Chas I’m with you!
U just a currupt man,.who wants to turn st.lucians gains eachother att all cost to regain power..
SlP and all there followers…..go to hell!
Flushing the la’gigit of St .Lucia!
Ti croix, you don’t even know the person but you know that he or she was never a supporter. Where does St. Lucia get idiots like you?
The way this is written, you know you are not and have never been an SLP supporter. Sorti la avec sa!
The protest was a dismal failure. Chas think we forget how he fooled people into marching with him, last time, “against high fuel prices”? Same ploy here. But this time the people were unto you Chas. We will never get fooled by you, EVER AGAIN!
@ born free. How do you know that fool. You are worst than an idiot.