COMMUNICATIONS Director for the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP), Senator Lisa Jawahir, has every intention of contesting the Castries South East parliamentary seat. But is the senator taking a swipe at the parliamentary representative for the area and fellow SLP member Joachim Henry?
According to Jawahir, “Politics has always been on the agenda.”
“I have indicated my interest to the Saint Lucia Labour Party and I have been informed of… what the process is,” the Communications Director said this week when she appeared on a local programme.
Back in 2019, she also indicated her desire to take on a ministerial role.
But the Party decided to “go with somebody who at the time had gone before, was not successful, but was given another opportunity and did what… people didn’t think he could have done. And I’m saying if this individual [Guy Joseph from the United Workers Party] was beaten, he can be beaten again. What we are seeing is a call from the people of Castries South East for relatability, for freshness, to be able to continue the work that was started by our comrades,” Jawahir said.
According to her, “What the Labour Party has engaged in now is what we call a de-endorsement process, where you invite persons from across Saint Lucia to share their interests… our party focuses deeply on… freedom of expression and freedom of participation.”
The senator said the Party is doing extremely well in the community, and recently when Henry spoke at a meeting, he was well-received. Why then, is Jawahir trying to replace the MP?
“We are going through a selection process which allows people to put their hat into the ring and say, ‘I believe the time is now’’. For me, I have done so because people have seen something in me that they want… they’ve been asking me… since before 2019. I did say yes at the time [but] the party went in a certain direction and that call has only grown louder and louder,” she stated.
Moreover, she emphasised, “There are people in the party who have their preferences [and] people in the constituency who have their preferences [as well].”
Jawahir (who grew up in Forestiere) has extended herself to the community in different ways.
“I’ve been part of community groups. I was the P.R.O. of the South Castries Youth and Sports Council, I founded the Forestiere Youth Ambassadors, I’ve sponsored tournaments, I’ve offered assistance to persons, whether it be in sports, physical assistance in terms of sporting equipment, cricket kits, sponsoring leagues… I do have a track record of community service and supporting young people, [and] supporting the elderly,’’ the senator noted.
“I never knew I would get here… but people always say that whenever I took the mic and I had the opportunity to speak and to touch people, I never backed down from that. So it’s really an opportunity for me to continue to present myself as a supporter of the Labour Party, to continue to push the agenda of putting people first and securing the victory, and to ensure that Castries South never returns to the hands of the United Workers’ Party,” she added.
In an interview with iReport this week, the senator said her mission is “to support the policies of the Philip J. Pierre-led administration and to defend and promote the SLP despite the fiery darts of the UWP geared towards my personality, character and credibility. I have stood firm, with grit, and never wavered. I speak of grit because I believe this skill is what sets me apart. I knew that although I possessed the communication skills, emotional intelligence, and warm and friendly personality for the task, grit was most important and was the true test of my strength and success. It was this characteristic that propelled me to be the person I am today, never giving up and staying consistent.”
THE VOICE made several attempts to get a hold of Henry but unfortunately, our efforts were futile.