PRESS RELEASE – THE Director of Implementation in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Nancy Charles, has accused opposition leader, Philip J. Pierre and his Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) of creating the impression among Saint Lucians here and abroad and overseas agencies that there is ‘some sort of disarray and mayhem’ in this country.
Charles told reporters here Thursday that Pierre and the SLP are creating the impression that things are “so bad.”
“This is not the case,” the OPM official asserted.
Charles said she was not indicating that everything is “fantastic and great” and conditions are as they are supposed to be.
However, she expressed the view that Saint Lucia is much better off today than two and a half years ago, when the United Workers Party (UWP) administration came to power.
Charles said the Allen Chastanet administration is proud of its accomplishments, citing, among other things, a reduction in unemployment and growth in the economy despite a reduction in Value Added Tax (VAT), which everyone thought would be catastrophic for the local economy.
She also highlighted a ten million dollar allocation for the renovation of schools and an ‘extensive’ road maintenance and rehabilitation programme.
Charles made the remarks ahead of a planned protest march by the opposition on Sunday.
According to her, everyone has a right to protest as the UWP did while in opposition.
But she was of the opinion that in an attempt to gather support for the protest march, the opposition has resorted to misleading statements and untruths.
Charles told reporters that her issue is not with the planned protest, but with the need for the opposition to tell people the truth.