By Special contributor

RODNEY BAY, St Lucia – Preliminary election campaigning in Saint Lucia has served up pet peeves of health and security, and conflict of interest, traditional on a Monday. The custodians of records have summarised that from 1951 to 2021, nine elections were held on a Monday in Saint Lucia.

Conversing with business owners in the Rodney Bay area on business and politics, the mindset on this election is adjudicated on the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) and the voting public. Allen Chastanet and his United Workers Party (UWP)  – (a political club) caved in comparison. The apprehension summarises the leadership is “blind and deaf to itself,” suffering from an acute lack of self-awareness, truth and trust.

The voting population in Saint Lucia is pretty much even subject to a 2 + percentage swing, attached with the middle-of-the-road voters, characterised as former Progressive Labour Party (PLP) comrades.

The politics of RORO are all too familiar in Saint Lucia, supported with a clown-filled circus atmosphere that is all too obnoxious. Politicians and their surrogates, out of the blue sky’s find time to eat, sing and dance, even with babies. Photo ops with the sick and elderly (cheekily) are commonplace. Suddenly, politicians have time to chill out on the block, meeting and greeting common people in uncommon areas that they would not normally be in on any given day.

Significantly, one can easily understand that it is not uncommon for politicians to lose their marbles! Recent comments and attacks on citizens are brusque, boldfaced and politically unthinking.

Most Saint Lucians will not disagree that the gun violence and drug dealing, homicides and lawlessness that plague Saint Lucia are unbecoming. Notwithstanding complaints, suggesting that the commissioner of police doesn’t have a handle on what is happening in the police force. Until now, an ostensible public validation by a member of parliament is riveting.

Judiciously, one is left to wonder if politicians on the election hustings have visited their closets, cleaned out their skeletons, laid undecorated for scrutiny, and attempted repentance. This is not too much to ask for, nor is it impossible, with ample clergymen waiting at empty confession boxes, steps away from parliament.

In this extraordinary election, many Saint Lucians will not disagree that they will have to decide on politicians’ reputation and credibility. Including the validity of information disclosed at press conferences and the legitimacy of court appearances, that amplify concerns as a tool of revenge in political combat.

Mania or hypomania are extreme mood swings associated with conditions of bipolar disorder. This syndrome is not far-fetched, taking into consideration the diminished content of speech heard on platforms of political candidates in this election. From sidesteps to betrayal remarks, to diminishing comments about health and security, and a selective media at a press conference suggesting ” maybe it’s time to play dirty … maybe it’s time to kick somebody in the knee … (laughter) … .”

The attributed comments are star-crossed and not helpful. It portrays the risk associated with negative media and misinformation. The continuum of the press conference is concerning to the law, citizen security and parliamentary conduct. In addition, this opens the door to validate whether ignorance, common sense, or politics override journalism.

In most developed countries, resignations would be commonplace. And by the same token, certain advocacy groups and so-called media influencers who worship politicians of low repute in the politics of diminished clowns. The reward must be beneficial amid the hustings for the heart and soul of voters.

This election cycle, like others, has seen half-baked election projects and community transformation overnight. Compounding this, a cabinet minister, on a folly of his own, loosely announced a foreign direct investment project that is in a preliminary stage. This has fuelled an outcry from independent candidates for consultation with the people.

The good book says, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find. Faced against mainstream dominance, independent candidates’ counter-narratives are caught in the middle, pleading for respect and restitution. In one flamboyant case, with both hands locked.

In the quest to make Saint Lucia better, consider this. A positive balance sheet in business is the sign of progress, albeit, other factors and trends for consideration to articulate a complete picture, within a time frame. In government, deliverables to the common good in the form of regulatory reforms and policy are mandatory. This facilitates establishing a business-friendly environment, investment in human capital and infrastructural development, and expanding access to financing for entrepreneurs, critical to job creation in building a dynamic and competitive economy.

The Chastanet-led UWP political club, a defective cabal, conscious of their own plans, are unwilling to adjust course in a changing nation state. The 61-year-old political party is unsurprisingly unable to define its own philosophy. It has lost its charisma and relevance. The leadership burden is avoidable. The image is deficient. The messaging and political strategy are yoked.

The UWP’s awkward promises to the voting public, to date, have been unsuccessful in reinstating an uplifting mindset and political presence. The party suffers from genuine euphoria. Their competence is inadequate to a clearly defined novel national agenda. Instead, it is an attempt at a re-run of old ideas and miscarried policy. Understandably, the relevance to – #RightTheWrong – is pursuing specific objectives, while deeper personal and political questions remain on targeted operations.

“A key difference between the UWP and the SLP lies in our approach to taxation. The UWP believes that Saint Lucians deserve relief, not more burdens. That’s why, upon assuming office, one of our first actions will be to remove the 2.5 percent tax imposed by the SLP. We will put money back into your pockets, ease the cost of living and rebuild confidence in our economy,” says Chastanet on social media.

Implemented in 2023, the 2.5 percent Health and Citizen Security Levy (HCSL) is applied to goods and services to improve the government’s financial ability to provide quality healthcare services to the public and reinforce Saint Lucia’s national security infrastructure for a safer and more secure country, says the finance minister. The annual contribution is approximately XCD 33 million, exceptionally insufficient to meet current needs.

Considering the UWP assessment in and out of government, the hypothesis of authentic execution of policy with sustainable results that matter for people is an unfriendly prospect. The physiognomies are composed of impotence.

The UWP says on social media, “In this election, don’t gamble with your future. Vote for the party that will lower taxes, improve healthcare and security, and is the only party that improves your quality of life. Bring National Health Insurance coverage, the removal of the 2.5 percent tax and lower gas prices, free education at Sir Arthur Lewis Community College and quality representation for you and your family.”

Saint Lucia cannot anchor a reflex of diminishing returns. Neither should one forget obscured rhetoric and salesmanlike parliamentarians globetrotting.

The future lies in the ability to harness entrepreneurship, fuel innovation, and expand opportunities to create sustainable jobs. Political plans must deliver outcomes that create value, protect workers, and support business growth. Policy and regulation must generate jobs with skills relevant to a changing majority of transformational entrepreneurship.

Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has endeavoured to focus on the country’s progress rather than personal or political disputes.

“This election for me will never be an election of conflict,” Pierre said, adding, “That election for me is an election of my achievements.”

The SLP is convinced they will make a “sweep out” in the next elections. Dreams are filled with unknowns, separate and apart from those with crystal balls. The verdict is predicated, that under Prime Minister Pierre’s leadership, he always “put people first.”

Adjudicating the current pace of rallies, cottage and community meetings, voters anticipate a nice Christmas and New Year’s gift, reflecting the spirit of sharing and a shared experience that benefits others.