WITH two years remaining before the next general elections, we must ask: will Saint Lucia maintain its 17 constituencies, or will we see the addition of one or two more?
This issue is pressing, as certain constituencies are bursting at the seams and urgently need their boundaries to be revised. The Gros Islet constituency, in particular, is too large in terms of population. If any constituency needs new demarcation, it is Gros Islet.
This, however, is not a new issue; the need to demarcate Gros Islet and other constituencies has been discussed for decades. Over 24 years ago, the Organisation of American States prepared a report on the Delimitation of Electoral Boundaries in Saint Lucia at the request of the former Kenny Anthony administration.
We need to know the current status of this issue. Is the Constituency Boundaries Commission actively working on implementing the numerous recommendations for boundary delimitation reform it has received over the years? Where is the Constituency Boundaries Commission? We haven’t heard from them in quite some time. Who are the current members of the Commission? Is the Commission still operational? If so, are its members touring the constituencies to review past proposals for boundary changes, or are there new proposals?
We are aware of the past contention between United Workers Party members and Saint Lucia Labour Party members on the Commission. However, rehashing these conflicts serves no purpose. What we want to know is whether the situation has improved. Is there now general agreement between the two sides that certain constituencies must be demarcated, and when will this be done?
While we understand that this is a highly political issue, which in the past has led to provocative behaviour and breaches of due process, we hope that these issues are behind us. We trust that the current members of the Commission (if there are any) understand that it is an independent and autonomous institution as mandated by the Constitution.
There was once hope that the formation of a Constituency Boundaries Commission would elevate political discourse in the country. However, what we have seen in the past are unnecessary political disputes and a mistrust of the Commission’s ability to reach fair and transparent conclusions.
As noted earlier, our concern is for the present and future of this country, hence our interest in the Commission.