THE Lucian People’s Movement (LPM) will soon be vetting persons to contest general elections under its banner whenever elections are called.
The vetting process looks likely to begin later this year because the party’s National Council will, at the end of this month into early next month, peruse reports coming from its constituency branches island-wide naming prospective candidates as constituency representatives.
“Based on submissions from the various branches we will begin our vetting process. The constituencies give us persons but we have to ensure that those persons are of good character and can make changes and contribute to the development of Saint Lucia,” political leader, Theorold Prudent said.
“Once we have finished the vetting process we can go right ahead in announcing who the candidates are,” he added.
The LPM, over the years, has withstood biting criticisms since taking part in its first ever general elections in 2011. Surprisingly, it has outlasted all of the minority political parties that had mushroomed over the political landscape in past years.
Now the party, which seems set to become the third political party that has longed been called for in the country, is embarking on mobilization work to acquire a full slate of candidates for the next general elections.
“What we hope to do is to contest all 17 seats when general elections are called. This is the aim of the LPM” Prudent said.
The party, three weeks ago, showed that it is here to stay when it held its first ever convention in Grande Riviere, Dennery while celebrating its fifth anniversary. Delegates from 14 constituencies across the island were present making up, what the party calls, the “people’s congress”.
The party has already established a 12 member National Council which has in the pipeline several projects aimed at propelling itself into becoming a household name in the country and the better alternative Saint Lucians could depend on in choosing a government.
“We are heartened by the convention in that we were able to bring together delegates from all around the country. The LPM is no longer a small organization as it was in 2011. It has grown. The mere fact that we are able to have delegations and representatives from around the country shows that LPM is growing,” Prudent said.
“At the convention a mandate was given to the parly to start identifying potential candidates for the LPM in all of the constituencies. We have persons who have shown an interest but there is no endorsement of those individuals because we felt it must be done at the constituency level,” Prudent said, admitting that he has yet to be endorsed by his party for Gros Islet where he is based and has been doing work for the past five years.
Another focus of the LPM is that of acquiring new blood to fill candidate positions. Prudent decries as shameful the recycling of failed politicians who contest elections for 20 years and more.
“Their record of success is about one win yet they keep on contesting the seat as if they are the only ones entitled to do so. The LPM has nothing to do with those types of career politicians. We need to break that cycle and have young people, fresh ideas come to the fore to push the country forward,” Prudent said.
