ON the eve of the general election of 2011 Dr. Kenny Anthony made an impassioned plea to St Lucians in a radio and television address to support candidates of his St Lucia Labour Party. He promised, if his party was elected, that it would uphold “the highest standards of competence, honesty and integrity, individually and collectively.”
Referring to “the stunning verdict” that the electorate had rendered on the SLP in the elections of 2006, Anthony conceded that “there were several things about the governance” of his party in the five years previously “that the people were not happy with”. The party had learned from that experience, he said, and had used the recent term in opposition “to look at its shortcomings”. He himself, he said, had also used that opportunity to look at his own leadership and shortcomings.
Appealing to all St Lucians directly, he then said: “We must become one team, Team St Lucia, committed to the cause of building a better country”. He promised “to govern honestly, fairly and competently” and to provide “inspired and passionate leadership that always places country before self and sets the right example for our citizens, particularly the youth, to follow”.
As had happened before during Labour’s two terms from 1997 to 2006, Dr. Anthony and his party failed their own test as far as the voters were concerned and they delivered another “stunning verdict” to him and the SLP in last Monday’s general elections.
The sins of the Anthony government of the past five years added up progressively as the term went on. He either perpetuated some or presided over others. The government and the ruling party together became something of an Olympus, an entity of power that put supporters above everyone else, even in some of the most prestigious positions that they were not suited for because of their own personal misdeeds. In the public service, favouritism and cronyism now leave our country with a politicized but also demoralized and demotivated group of workers, with many political appointees who are now expected to faithfully and honestly serve a new government and the State. Several important institutions in St Lucia became tainted under Labour with questionable appointments while others simply collapsed under the weight of neglect. All this was supported by the biggest media propaganda machine ever assembled in this country.
Dr. Anthony failed miserably in his handling of the St. Lucia economy with three consecutive years of negative growth. We saw sister OECS countries all get out of their own dismal economic situations to post healthy growth rates of three, four and five percent and even six percent, in the case of St Kitts-Nevis, while St Lucia remained stuck in limbo. Foreign investment virtually dried up for St Lucia and it took an eternity before we decided to go out and seek it. All the while we continued to accumulate debt, up to almost three billion dollars, and yet we ended up with one of the highest unemployment rates in the sub-region, accompanied by a diminution in our standard of living and a string of social problems.
In some cases we saw arrogance and defiance on the part of the former St Lucian leader: The Grynberg and the Juffali matters come to mind. Dr. Anthony never understood that the fact that something is legal or constitutional does not always make it right. There are times when other standards, especially moral standards, must be held up.
One of the biggest problems for Dr. Anthony, though, was the image which he frequently brought to the position of Prime Minister, fostering disunity where he ought to have been trying to live up to his 2011 promise of uniting our people. It was sometimes frightening to hear his public utterances.
Dr. Anthony did not have to endure Monday’s humiliation but he chose his path and Olympus came crashing down. Not only did his party lose badly, he himself suffered rejection when he accumulated the lowest victory margin in the five contests he had featured in in Vieux Fort south since 1997.
Tragedy and defeat sometimes offer lessons to those who witness it and one hopes that the new government will be aware of this. The people of St Lucia want honest, compassionate, but less authoritative and oppressive government. They abhor corruption and abuse of power or authority by officials, especially politicians. A quick look at the Constitutional Commission Report will let this new government know in clear and unambigious terms what the people expect.
As the new Prime Minister, Allen Chastanet has his work cut out. He brings to the position a gentler, more respectful and less combative demeanour and we have watched him handle criticism and pressure from within his own party, and from the now opposition, with maturity He has demonstrated leadership skills in the way he was able to whip his party into shape after a period of internal turmoil and get it ready for the recent election. We are happy to see that he has set the unity of the people as a major goal of his administration as well as makingthings better for us all, economically and socially.
Mr. Chastanet should, however, have no illusions about what public response will be should he and his government mess up. He must run a tight ship that must include disciplining errant members of his administration if it comes to that, or face the wrath of the electorate the same way Anthony did on Monday.