Prime Minister Stephenson King has said that general elections will be held this year in St Lucia. Dismissing speculation, King said that he would drag out the date to March 2012, in keeping with the constitutional deadline.
The two main political parties – the ruling United Workers’ Party (UWP) and the main opposition St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) – have in recent weeks stepped up campaign activities in anticipation of the polls being held this year.
The island’s oldest newspaper, The Voice, has been publishing opinion polls that favour an opposition victory; but King, who appeared on a local radio programme, has dismissed the findings, insisting that the UWP would be victorious.
“I know The Voice as a newspaper and not a pollster: the only poll I take seriously is the election; and as far as I am concerned, the United Workers Party is on their way to another victory, and we are putting everything in placed to ensure that this is not just a victory, but a resounded one at the next elections, which I intend calling this year,” King said.
SLP leader Dr Kenny Anthony, in an immediate response, said he was not surprised at the prime minister’s statement, since he has few options available to him now.
“I did not think that the prime minister has too many choices in calling the election. This is the season of political theatre, and obviously the prime minister believes he can play a game with the opposition and confuse the population to maximum advantage.
“This is all part of the psychological preparation for elections; but the truth is the prime minister does not have many windows, and I am not surprised that he is now conceding that he will be calling elections this year,” Anthony said. In the 2006 general election, the UWP won 11 of the 17 seats in the Parliament, with the remaining six seats going to the SLP, which was seeking a third consecutive term in office. (Excerpt from CMC)
