CASTRIES, St. Lucia – Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre will be sworn in as head of the government for a second consecutive five-year term on Friday, after his ruling St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) won Monday’s general election by an overwhelming majority.
Prime Minister Phillip J PierreFormer St. Vincent and the Grenadines prime minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves said he had accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Pierre to attend the swearing in ceremony.
“This morning, I spoke with my brother and comrade, Hon. Philip J. Pierre. Congratulations on this fantastic victory to the SLP and people of St Lucia,” Gonsalves, 79, wrote on his Facebook page, adding “in conversation, Philip extended an invitation, which I’ve accepted, to be at his swearing in ceremony on Friday December 5th. Labour stays together”.
Gonsalves had hoped to have led his Unity Labour Party (ULP) to an unprecedented sixth consecutive victory at the polls, but lost by a 14-1 margin to the New Development Party (NDP) in the November 27 poll.
Pierre guided his SLP to a 14-1 victory over the main opposition United Workers Party (UWP) in Monday’s poll, with the UWP’s leader, Allen Chastanet, being the only winner of the party.
The other two seats in the 17-member Parliament, have been won by “independent” candidates, former prime minister Stephenson King and former government minister, Richard Frederick, both of whom are expected to form part of the new cabinet as had been the case in 2021, when Pierre led the SLP to victory by a 13-1 margin.
Pierre has said that he expects to name the new cabinet by next week, adding “we have to do a few things, we have to get the VAT (value added tax) free day going and I want to tell the public servants that they will get their backpay as promised”.
Meanwhile, the St. Lucia based Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission has extended “warmest congratulations” to Pierre saying it also wanted to “commend the people of St. Lucia for exercising their democratic right through a peaceful and orderly electoral process, demonstrating once again the strength of democratic institutions in the region.
“Prime Minister Pierre continues a tradition of dedicated leadership in St. Lucia, and his renewed mandate reflects the confidence of the electorate in his vision for the country’s development and progress.”
The OECS Commission said that under Prime Minister Pierre’s continued stewardship, the sub-regional grouping is looking “forward to deepening cooperation grounded in our shared commitment to regional integration, sustainable development, resilience building, and good governance.
“The Commission stands ready to work closely with his administration to advance policies and initiatives that will strengthen St. Lucia and contribute to the collective advancement of the Eastern Caribbean,” it said, extending “appreciation to all candidates and stakeholders who participated in the electoral process and contributed to the peaceful expression of the people’s will”.
The OECS groups the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.
