THE abuse of power by the SLP administration moved into high gear immediately after the 2021 elections. Since then, their actions have deteriorated and further precipitated by one minister who has apparently dominated the fold by his sheer bullying tactics. In the process, the democracy of the state has been abused and so has the Opposition Leader in his attempt to defend this important piece of legislation. Unfortunately, our Prime Minister has displayed a general weakness, totally incapable of executing the duties of Commander in Chief. This is an extremely unhealthy situation which has cast some dark and dusty days ahead and if not timely addressed, similar to our crime situation, chaos will ensue.
This is the first time in the history of St Lucia we have witnessed this number of lawsuits instituted against a Speaker and Members of Parliament for their abuse of power, bringing about shame and unnecessary financial strain on the nation’s resources. Fortunately, the nation has been blessed with an Opposition Leader who has the gumption and ability to put hold on some of the madness.
It is an accepted fact that we as a people must accept a level of responsibility for part of the problem. We witness this administration willfully put an end to a number of paid projects for unknown reasons, simultaneously bringing about a lot of unemployment for over 2,500 persons and never voicing their concerns. These actions created a loss of millions of dollars at our treasury. A government which persistently feeds us with incorrect propaganda about reduced unemployment when in fact hundreds of tradesmen have migrated based on the work status of ongoing projects.
We must once more remind the Chamber of Commerce, The Hotels and Tourism Association, The Bar Association and the civil societies against their undue silence over the last two years despite several requests from numerous talk show callers bringing their concerns to these institutions. This having been said, we must commend Mr. Noorani who used his good offices from the SLHTA and as an Independent Senator to voice some dissatisfaction on the crime issue in St Lucia. Mr. Noorani was right on target and spoke clearly on the matter. This is what St Lucia needs at this time in order that other stakeholders can muster the courage to do what is right.
How much more is expected of the Opposition Leader to keep fighting fifteen Members of Parliament without the support of these institutions? The Opposition Leader most recently highlighted the total disgrace and embarrassment for the Millennium Highway project running eighteen months behind schedule while the Ministry of Infrastructure has failed to come forward on behalf of the public and apologize for these unreasonable delays. On the other hand, the SLP administration is busy finding the funds and time to celebrate a victory for the 2021 election results. ALL SO COMICAL.