Former Saint Lucian Prime Minister Allen Chastanet continues to grapple with a significant trust problem, a challenge rooted in a series of decisions and alleged missteps during his administration. This deficit of public confidence is evident across various facets of his political career and leadership.
One key issue contributing to this lack of trust is the reported unreleased results of post-election polls. Following the United Workers Party’s (UWP) substantial defeat on July 26, 2021, there were claims that Chastanet and his party commissioned polls to assess their performance. However, these results were never officially made public, raising questions about transparency and potentially fuelling public suspicion regarding the true state of their support. Typically, such polls aim to understand past performance and inform future strategies, but their secrecy in this instance only deepened scepticism.
Chastanet’s perceived failure in government and as party leader further exacerbates his trust issues. It’s widely believed that any professionally conducted post-election poll would indicate public disfavour with his continued leadership, unless he publicly acknowledged past mistakes and presented concrete proposals to genuinely improve the living standards of all Saint Lucian citizens. This suggests a widespread sentiment that his administration fell short of public expectations.
His actions concerning the Saint Lucia National Trust also significantly damaged his credibility. Allegations surfaced that Chastanet attempted to intimidate the Trust after it voiced concerns about the environmental sustainability of certain foreign investment projects and the potential compromise of historical sites. Such actions are seen as an affront to environmental protection and national heritage, eroding trust among conservationists and the wider public.
Beyond environmental concerns, numerous allegations of corruption and questionable foreign direct investment deals plagued his government, contributing to a substantial decline in public trust. Compounding this were claims of the non-allocation of state resources to Members of Parliament (MPs) representing constituencies won by the Labour Party, suggesting a politically motivated distribution of funds rather than an equitable approach to national development.
The culmination of these grievances manifested dramatically on September 9, 2018, less than halfway into Chastanet’s term. Thousands of Saint Lucians, from all political backgrounds, poured into the streets of Castries in a massive demonstration organized by the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP). This widespread outpouring of disapproval was a direct response to what was perceived as the Chastanet government’s “sins of commission and omission,” which had alienated nearly every economic and social group in the country. This included labor unions, conservation groups, transportation providers, farmers (especially banana farmers who felt betrayed by false promises of export markets), and the arts and literary community, notably over the abandonment of the Derek Walcott House.
The depth of this discontent led to a motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister, submitted for debate in the House of Assembly. The SLP, in a statement on November 18, 2018, aptly summarized the perceived decline in national leadership under Chastanet. They asserted that Saint Lucia had been governed in a manner that “undermined our Constitution, its conventions and practices,” citing “a growing abuse of public office, unreasonable and irrational decision-making, unsustainable fiscal deficits, squandering of the State’s financial resources, and a debilitating decline in the public trust and confidence in the Prime Minister’s ability to govern the country.”
Despite the formal presentation of the motion on November 20 by then-Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, Hon. Philip J. Pierre, its debate was characterized by procedural delays. When the no-confidence motion finally reached the House on January 29, 2019, UWP MPs, facing an indefensible case from the opposition, reportedly executed a “well-rehearsed masterplan” to prematurely end the debate. This move, widely seen as a shameful use of parliamentary majority to stifle a constitutional process, further solidified the perception that Chastanet’s government was unwilling to be held accountable to the very people who elected them.
Ultimately, Allen Chastanet’s trust problem is a multifaceted issue, deeply rooted in allegations of governmental mismanagement, a perceived lack of transparency, political strong-arming, and a broad failure to maintain the confidence and support of a significant portion of the Saint Lucian populace.