THE Philip J Pierre administration has promised to appoint a special investigator to investigate allegations of corruption in government.
This stems primarily from allegations of corruption attributed to the previous administration, allegations which the Labour Party while in opposition had accused the previous administration of.
The previous administration, under its leader Allen Chastenet, had vehemently denied claims of corruption made against them.
However at yesterday’s First Sitting of the Twelfth Parliament, Errol Charles, Deputy to the Governor General, said a special prosecutor will be investigating those claims.
“My government, in recognition of the widespread unprecedented reports of alleged corruption during the term of the last administration, will appoint a special prosecutor to investigate allegations of corruption (in) government. This appointment is expected to be completed soon. My government will strengthen the integrity commission to return our country to a system that respects our democratic norms and the rights of the people,” Charles stated.
Charles explained how Saint Lucia demonstrated to the world the democratic will of the people when it peacefully changed government three weeks ago.
“Now that the general elections are over, it is time to put political differences aside and commence the process of building our country together. After all Saint Lucia is one physical space that we can jointly claim to be ours. Let us protect it and nurture it for ourselves and future generations,” Charles said during his delivery of the Throne Speech at a joint sitting of parliament.
Charles said that government prioritizes for this new session of parliament to put structures in place and to secure the necessary resources human, financial, physical, to allow the real work of transforming Saint Lucia by the start of the next parliament in 2022.
“There are however, some initiatives that just cannot wait and need to be attended to immediately. St. Jude Hospital remains a vexing issue for the people of the south and the wider Saint Lucian society. For this reason St Jude Hospital will be a high priority of my government together with providing early relief for those who have suffered disproportionately during this COVID-19 pandemic,” Charles said.
He added, “I want to reassure the Saint Lucian public that my government will continue ongoing projects which are viable, however, projects like the Hewanorra International Airport rehabilitation programme will be subjected to reassessment for scope, cost and viability to avoid unnecessary financial burdens on the state.”
According to Charles government will try to secure some fiscal space by commencing the process of debt restructuring with the assistance of institutions like the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), so that some assistance can be provided to those in need of financial support as a result of the negative economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
“We will review agreements signed in the last term to ensure that provisions are in the best interest of the people and laws of Saint Lucia. This includes the DSH agreement. To the young people looking for new opportunities I want to tell you that my government’s commitment to the youth economy remains unconditional and will be securing the necessary funding and other resources to getting started within (this) session of parliament. There has already been encouraging interests and support from international agencies wishing to assist my government in getting the youth economy off the ground. I am pleased to share that young budding entrepreneurs can look forward to a new and exciting future in the world of business,” Charles said.
He said the main legislative agenda of government will be deferred to the next session of parliament and that in the spirit of change, government intends to uphold the Constitution of Saint Lucia in both words and deeds. Further, out of respect for the people and the constitution of Saint Lucia which seeks to provide order and good governance in the management of our country’s affairs, the intended structures of parliament will be observed.
I personally welcome this process, though I find it to be rushed, less than a month after the last general Elections, however it could be regarded as a good start; but let judgment begin at Home first, before seeking fault with our neighbor, we must first start with a clean Slate, on both sides, before going forward. Most interesting it is thought that one or two present Government Ministers may be at risk of being investigated; and I don,t take pleasure in saying, indeed very interesting. I judge no one – let God be the judge.