Leader of the ruling Saint Lucia Labour Party Philip J. Pierre turned the nomination day spotlight onto his supporters, rather than himself and his bid to buck the trend that has unseated every prime minister since 2006.
The electorate has chosen to change the country’s leadership in the last four election cycles, with the previous prime minister to win back-to-back terms being Kenny Anthony in 2001.
However, Pierre is undeterred. Dubbed the “Six-Star General” by the Labour Party faithful, he has held the Castries East seat in Parliament since 1997. Following Friday’s official nomination process, Pierre indicated that the wealth of support from his constituents has encouraged him.
“What’s important is not really how I feel, it’s how they feel,” he said. “There’s a lady who signed my nomination papers in 1992, when I had just left school and ran for elections, and she’s there. It’s about how they feel. I’m doing it for them. I feel privileged. I feel humbled that these people can show faith in me for such a long time.”
“They get insulted. They are asked all the time, ‘Why are you voting for him? What has he done?’ People insult them. They ridicule them from generations, mothers, grandmothers, they have stuck with me and I really, really want to thank them, so it’s all about them and becoming Prime Minister, it’s only because of them and the members of the Saint Lucia Labour Party and the people of Saint Lucia.”
When asked about his vision for his constituency in particular, the Prime Minister revealed areas that he has already begun working on in his constituency, including the development of sporting venues, as well as newer initiatives like the establishment of an active craft market in the constituency.
However, he emphasised that the progressive developments made across Saint Lucia under his leadership will uplift his constituency as well.
“What you must realise is that Castries East is part of Saint Lucia. So when we pay facility fees, we pay for Castries East. When we pay facility fees for CXC subjects, it’s for Castries East. When we increase the minimum wage, we do it for Castries East…So to pretend, and the Opposition likes to pretend that Castries East is not part of Saint Lucia, this is a pretence, and that is why they’ve never succeeded in that. The people of Castries East benefit from what happens in Saint Lucia.”
On Tuesday, the SLP will release its election manifesto. Even before this occurs, the Prime Minister is confident that the electorate can see the changes made by his administration for themselves.
“I think that we’ve done something historic,” he told reporters. “We are the only party who has written down, documented our achievements for the last four and a half years. We gave a manifesto with these issues. Here is what we have done. We’ve documented it for everybody to see, from promises to delivery. We promised and looked at what we would deliver. I think that is key. The electorate can determine what we did and what we intend to do in the next term.”
Give the man another three terms
Hugh Blackfoot…..most definitely. Many impromptu was written about his political aspersions riddle with insults by his most stauch critiques (of course they know themselves, I am so glad they are alive)….for them to witness the man who they claimed would be an embarrassment on the would stage for St Lucia due to his minor speech impediment a “little Black Boy” as they would often scold him without shame for political stipend, I wonder if these fools has noticed the behavior of the supposed leader of the free world antics, tactics, and his level of insults in the eyes of the world ? This in definition is pale to the leadership of The Most Honorable Six Star General Philip J Pierre. The Most Honorable Philip J. Pierre is the most blue collar prime minister in St Lucia’s History., He is relatable, the flamboyantcy and blatant fiscal mismanagement of the opposition are still been felt by the populace, the country cannot afford anymore of their lapponess and policies that’s are garnered to cliques and “a chosen few”. This PM has accomplished much with the hand he inherited and we stand to gain much more with Philip J. Pierre at the helm, not the “here my dear I present to you Dubai” failed promises by the opposition. Their failed economic underachievement still dots the St Lucia landscape, which should be a constant reminder to the citizens of this nation why they are enemies of the state and why they should never govern again