Dr Shanda Lee Harracksingh and Danny Butcher presented themselves as agents of change when they made their first platform appearances since being officially endorsed as the Saint Lucia Labour Party’s candidates for Micoud South and Vieux Fort South, respectively.
They spoke at the SLP Youth Organisation’s “Youth Vybe” Rally at the weekend.
Harracksingh, who will be up against former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition Allen Chastanet for the Micoud South seat, sharply criticised the incumbent representative, calling his leadership “dysfunctional”.
“I am putting him on notice today. Tell Santa Claus… to bring his resignation to the constituency,” she said in reference to Chastanet. “When the bell rings, that’s it for you. We have come to the end of this long rope.”
She went on to outline her campaign priorities, placing education and healthcare front and centre. Among her key pledges is a commitment to secure one medical scholarship every year for a resident of Micoud South, a move she framed as part of a broader push for “meaningful opportunities” in the constituency.
Butcher, on the other hand, will be stepping into the political arena following the retirement of former Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony, who has served the Vieux Fort South constituency for several decades on the SLP ticket. Butcher described the transition as a defining moment for himself and the constituency.
“I am the testament that this party believes in transition because in Vieux South, the baton is being passed,” he said.
Butcher also called on the youth in attendance to stand firm behind the SLP, pointing to what he referred to as the “great” work done by the current administration over the past four years. His address was summed up in these messages: “Be proud of the SLP’s legacy and defend your party with every part of your being. Prepare yourself for governance. When the election is called, you must go out and vote.”
