Former St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves says Saint Lucia’s pursuit of shared prosperity and sustainable development must be underpinned by discipline, productive work and a firm commitment to tackling crime and violence.
“A society of quality and shared prosperity cannot be built on laziness, indiscipline and pervasive crimes of violence. A sustainable, social democracy cannot be shaped by excessive pleasure, leisure and nice time,” he said on Monday.
He was addressing a joint sitting of Parliament to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Saint Lucia’s introduction of universal adult suffrage.
Gonsalves argued that building a prosperous society required more than economic growth. He pointed to the need for effective governance, strong political institutions, sound leadership, an engaged population and practical policies that make the best use of available resources.
He also stressed the importance of regional and international solidarity in advancing sustainable development.
Reflecting on Saint Lucia’s development since universal adult suffrage was introduced in 1951, Gonsalves expressed admiration for the efforts of successive governments.
The St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Opposition Leader said those efforts had sought to build a modern, competitive post-colonial economy with national and international reach, although progress had been uneven despite improvements in economic growth and human development.
“The dialectics of this progressive forward march in Saint Lucia are complicated and demand, among other things, a people-centred vision, a coherent philosophy of advanced social democracy and appropriately devised priority bundles of policies and programmes,” he said.
Gonsalves cautioned that Caribbean countries had little room for error as they navigated the challenges of development.
“Our margin for error is very slim,” he said.
The introduction of universal adult suffrage in 1951 marked a significant expansion of political participation in Saint Lucia. The number of registered voters in a population of almost 80 000 rose from approximately 5 000 on October 11, to more than 28 000 the following day.
Approximately 15 000 voted in the first election.
As Saint Lucia marked 75 years of universal adult suffrage, Gonsalves urged continued recognition of the principles underpinning Caribbean societies.
“It is imperative that we continue to reaffirm that our Caribbean nations are founded on the belief in the supremacy of God and the freedom and dignity of man and woman,” he said.
Gonsalves described these principles as a valued inheritance from the region’s ancestors.
