PRESS RELEASE – THE ruling United Workers Party (UWP) has said that it is alarmed by a weekend threat indicating it was time to throw grenades and tear gas into the next sitting of the House of Assembly.
According to a party statement Wednesday, the threat was made on Facebook by a ‘well-known political operative.’
The statement did not elaborate.
The release was issued in the aftermath of a spate of fires in the country.
The UWP said the party is particularly concerned by the number of fires which have been reported recently in Saint Lucia.
‘The latest which totally destroyed the Folk Research Centre at Calvary Road in Castries is of particular concern, and comes close on the heels of other recent high profile fires, including two at the Soufriere Hospital, and another at the DSH construction site where heavy equipment was burned,’ the release noted.
‘Reports are that about 10:19 p.m. on Sunday March 25, 2018 the Fire Department responded to the Folk Research Centre which was already fully engulfed in flames.
According to further reports, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. four more fires were reported in the Castries Market area. In one of those incidents, three vendors’ stalls were completely destroyed near the Castries Marketing Board. ‘
According to the UWP, the party feels the great sense of loss by all Saint Lucians in the aftermath of the fire at the Folk Research Centre, and empathises with the market vendors who lost their livelihood when their stalls were also burnt on the same night.
‘In yet another incident fire was started in a smoothie shack along Darling Road at its junction with Trinity Church Road. It is clear that a fire at that location would have destroyed four adjoining shops,’ the UWP statement said.