If You Asked Me, Letters & Opinion

Who’s Next In Line

Stan Bishop
Stan Bishop

MEMBERSHIP, like they say, does have its privileges. But it sometimes appears that even being the member of groups or organizations comes with a curse. Which explains why many organizations are catching their royal these days either attracting or retaining membership.

The recent case of Castries South-East MP Guy Joseph deriding Sarah Flood-Beaubrun for having the audacity to challenge the UWP Leader, Allen Chastanet, for that post at the party’s November 15 national convention serves as a prime example why people need to question the ostensible democracy that supposedly exists in organizations.

During one of the UWP’s public meetings recently, Joseph came out firing, chastising Flood-Beaubrun for not waiting her turn as it relates to seeking a post on the party’s executive. According to Joseph, Flood-Beaubrun needs to “join the line” and not be a parachutist jumping in last-minute to get in on the action.

Question: Who determines when one’s turn has come? Another question: Did Dr. Vaughan Lewis have to join the line when he replaced Sir John Compton as Prime Minister in 1996 after the latter decided to bow out of politics? Something tells me that the UWP is moving away from its inclusiveness and adopting the exclusive club method. I’m hoping I’m wrong on this.

That Flood-Beaubrun’s nine years of membership in the party does not qualify her to run for the leadership of the United Workers Party exposes the extent of the disunity that exists in the party. The same sentiments were expressed by party members when Dr. Claudius Preville challenged Chastanet for the leadership last year. Despite Dr. Preville being a party member for close to two decades, he was seen as a johnny-come-lately rather than the fresh blood the party keeps preaching it needs desperately.

I personally witnessed protesters chanting, “We want Chastanet, Sarah get out” about two weeks ago when the UWP staged a protest march against the government concerning its (mis)management of the economy. It began just as Flood-Beaubrun entered the march near the Vigie field, lasted for no more than two minutes, by which time I suppose some high-ranking party official might have told the protesters quietly that the march was not against Flood-Beaubrun.

Joseph’s outburst lacks a great deal of credence, especially since the party itself is also purging itself of long-serving members who refuse to tow the very line that Flood-Beaubrun has been asked to tow. Stephenson King and Richard Frederick found themselves removed from that very line because their line of thinking apparently crisscrossed with that of the rest of the flock.

Interestingly, Phillip J. Pierre’s reluctance to challenge Dr. Kenny Anthony for the leadership of the Saint Lucia Labour Party has drawn some strong comments from many people who think that “Pip” would have by now earned his stripes to do so. After all, while Pierre was carrying the Castries East seat for Labour long before Dr. Anthony jumped in last-minute in 1997 to become the party’s leader and a safe Vieux Fort South seat in that year’s general elections.

On many occasions, however, Pierre has said unequivocally that he has no qualms serving in the capacity he does. As good and qualified as many people say he is, Pierre seems satisfied with not becoming party leader let alone Prime Minister. But with rumours flying around that another staunch party supporter is being groomed to succeed Dr. Anthony as party leader, who’s to say that the “join the line” mentality would not creep into the Labour camp albeit tacitly?

Currently, there are way too many square pegs in round holes in this country. Even some elected officials’ dismal contributions in the House of Assembly make me question the electorate’s rationale for voting them in. However, I have no choice but to respect those voters who do join those long lines to elect their officials. What, I think, needs to happen, though, is that better quality candidates are selected for the process – fresh or old.

If you asked me, it seems a long shot at the moment that Flood-Beaubrun will triumph over Chastanet at the upcoming UWP convention. It’s not impossible but should she dare win, just imagine how her leadership would change that party for the worse as far as Joseph is concerned. I mean, he’s already signalled that he’s unwilling at this time to be governed by anyone else but Chastanet. Should Flood-Beaubrun win, one can well imagine the conundrum Joseph will find himself in: deciding whether to tow the line in the party’s interest or further divide the party he says is in a healing process.

Stan Bishop began his career in journalism in March 2008 writing freelance for The VOICE newspaper for six weeks before being hired as a part-time journalist there when one of the company’s journalists was overseas on assignment.

Although he was initially told that the job would last only two weeks, he was able to demonstrate such high quality work that the company offered him a permanent job before that fortnight was over. Read full bio...

9 Comments

  1. Yes, democracy could be messy alright; but it remains the best form of government known to man.

    If, for example, we are dissatisfied with our elected officials, we can always remove him or her come the next election; but that’s not the case in a Dictatorship, like Syria, where the country has been brought to it knees in an effort to remove Assad the dictator.

    And in a Monarchy; who can stand before a sitting King or Queen to inform him or her that the heir in line is not qualify to lead?

    So as messy as democracy is, it remains the best form of government known to us.

  2. That little twerp from the valley may be an intellectual midget to
    some, but he is not shy and he is in every bit of the word, a politician.
    That’s what politicians are made of, in my opinion. That’s why some make
    it and some like Dr. Vaughn Lewis may not make it. It’s a dirty, dirty game.

  3. MaMa Guy may have the near humorous facial features of ‘little RICHARD” & the bombastic panache of “liberace” but had he the dexterity of a true piano player-
    he may have had the mental ability to sublimate his core “school yard BULLY” profile-
    into realistic civil-civic minded political representative.
    The subliminal promotion of ‘Oh- BEE- AGH” among the throngs of “serfs” desperately struggling to rid the yoke from the remnants of colonial FEUDALISM- as in COLONIALISM:
    is totally regressive as in viewing ‘Fred Flinstone’ as modern icon 🙁
    Regaled as Lap poodle of Emperor Chaz his pretensions at faux vociferous pit bull is more salvaged MUTT –
    from the city pound.
    It is the canine savagery of his ilk, that DISSUADES eligible citizens with higher moral grit-
    to aspire to participate in the heroic quest of nation building statesmen or stateswomen
    Oh Lord: Have us mercy :Send down Percy……..amen.

  4. and to the extreme showmanship of Liberace –for mentioning him in this debate;
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HauAf7JMVgQ
    Now if the ARISTOCRAT puppet meister had such talented dexterity-
    to lead Flambeau’s SOGGY –Flood-Rim-med As in Sarah’s Bow is rising in Prevail-ing Gale Rig-go butt force winds (pun intended)?
    Voila, le bouyon la peau patatat
    -sans chef-
    pour le convention de UWP.

  5. Next on our playlist:

    THE SLP ROAD MARCH SONG
    Costume 2 RED Handkerchiefs one end tied to each wrist
    Intro:
    da flambeau is out
    da flambeau is all wet!

    (chorus)
    Follow the Doctor, Ken Anthony
    Follow the Doctor, Ken Anthony
    Follow the doctor, doctor, doctor
    Follow the doctor
    Follow da SLP!

    Hands up! Down!
    Up! Down!
    Up! Down!
    Up! Down!
    Everybody now put one RED handkerchief in the air, then another RED handkerchief in the air
    and we wave each from left to right,
    watch this
    left, right
    left, right
    two more times, two more times
    left, right
    left right
    Follow!
    (chorus)
    Follow the Doctor, Ken Anthony
    Follow the Doctor, Ken Anthony
    Follow the doctor, doctor, doctor
    Follow the doctor
    Follow da SLP!

    Come on now, Jump for the left
    Jump for the right
    Jump for the left jump for the right
    Everybody jump for the SLP
    jump for the right
    Jump for the left
    jump for the right
    Now clap and wave
    come on clap and wave
    clap and wave
    come on clap and wave
    everbody Come to SLP!

    (chorus)

    Now repeat after me
    You’re repeating after me
    Everybody repeat after me
    watch this
    Say “I love The SLP”
    Say “I love Dr. Kenny ”
    Say “I love The SLP”
    Say “I love Dr. Kenny ”
    Somebody anybody everbody scream (RED)

    (chorus)

    On 4 we gonna jump and wave (Red balloons, banners etc)
    On 4 we gonna jump and wave
    here we go
    1(get ready to jump)
    2(get ready to jump)
    3(get ready to jump)

    1-2-1-2-3-4
    Jump and wave
    jump and wave
    jump and wave
    everbody
    jump jump jump jump
    jump and wave
    jump and wave
    jump and wave
    jump jump jump jump
    sing

    (chorus)
    Move over to the SLP,
    Move over to the SLP,
    Over to the SLP,
    To the SLP (4X times)

    Jump and wave
    jump and wave
    jump and wave (large handkerchiefs , one end tied to wrists)
    everbody
    jump jump jump jump
    jump and wave
    jump and wave
    jump and wave
    jump jump jump jump

    Follow the Doctor, Ken Anthony
    Follow the Doctor, Ken Anthony
    Follow the doctor, doctor, doctor
    Follow the doctor
    Follow da SLP!

    And FREEZE! (as Red talcum powder, confetti, showers dancers and singers)

  6. I often wondered of your motivation to use the nom de plume “Cicero“?
    The historical roman namesake was a man of vast abilities and political scope.
    Any who here is a snippet from Wikepedia on your prolific namesake:
    During the chaotic latter half of the 1st century BC marked by civil wars and the dictatorship of Gaius Julius Caesar, Cicero championed a return to the traditional republican government.
    Following Julius Caesar’s death Cicero became an enemy of Mark Antony in the ensuing power struggle, attacking him in a series of speeches.
    He was proscribed as an enemy of the state by the Second Triumvirate and consequently executed by soldiers operating on their behalf in 43 BC after having been intercepted during attempted flight from the Italian peninsula.
    His severed hands and head were then, as a final revenge of Mark Antony, displayed in the Roman Forum.”

    If you were a close blog reader you may discern that I am the bona fide mental healthabnormalities pathologist in this forum: I can clarify every category of the DSM-V including the “hair splitting” nuances between subcategories, fluently.
    Furthermore, your use of the oxymoron “shrink” speaks volumes about your antiquated layman’s knowledge on clinical psychology/psychiatry.
    Today, thinking outside the box or exploring ideation or what passes in the vernacular as ‘swollen head’ thoughts is passé.
    Au contraire, pea brain obsessive/compulsive thoughts that repeatedly defy reality testing (e.g., Peter Judas Josie), is a prime candidate for psychiatric intervention at a tertiary institution.
    Peter Judas Josie is this forum’s resident mental abnormality.
    If you wish to join Josie at Rockland , NY Psychiatric Center, then I shall make premium accommodations available.
    Do take time to read or sing my responses…………..closely.
    Tally ho.

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