ST. LUCIA HEADS FOR A BYE ELECTION IN THE CASTRIES CENTRAL CONSTITUENCY
January 25, 2006
EDWARD HARRIS AT LARGE
ST. LUCIA HEADS FOR A BYE ELECTION IN THE CASTRIES CONSTITUENCY
Mrs. Sarah Flood-Beaubrun was a successful candidate in the Castries Constituency which is the Capital of Saint Lucia in the May, 1997 elections that brought the St. Lucia Labour Party to power and again in December, 2001. She resigned as a member of the Government and Cabinet in 2005 and remained in Parliament as an Independent member until January, 2006 when she resigned as a Member of Parliament and created an environment which necessitates a Bye Election within 90 days.
The Castries Constituency has been a hotly contested constituency ever since Dr. Vaughan Lewis took over candidacy and won the seat in a Bye Election in 1995 and was appointed Prime Minister. The Bye Election was brought about when Hon. George Mallet resigned as a Cabinet Minister in the United Workers Party (UWP) Government and became Governor General. Hon. George Mallet served as Minister of Trade and Industry prior to his appointment as Governor General, during which term he was knighted by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 2nd .
Unfortunately, Dr. Lewis’ stint as Prime Minister was short lived when two years later in 1997 he lost to Miss. Sarah Flood who represented the St. Lucia Labour Party and became Minister of Health and a Member of the Cabinet of Ministers in the St. Lucia Labour Party Government, 1997-2001 during which time she got married. In the second term of the SLP Administration Hon. Sarah Flood Beaubrun served as Minister of Gender Relations.
For some weeks now the fate of Dr. Lewis was a secret in spite of rumours and speculations as to his political future. He was given a deadline by the Executive of the United Workers Party, a party which he led until Sir John Compton took over the reign of the party he led until passing on the Leadership tp Dr. Lewis in 1995. Finally Dr. Lewis spoke in time to meet his deadline and announced to the UWP and the Nation that he is not interested in contesting the upcoming Bye Election not the General Elections. He did not however in his letter declining the offer to run for the UWP, what is his position regarding his membership.
Both major political parties, the SLP and the UWP have not yet decided on their candidates but in the case of the former, a run off among 5 candidates is expected before the end of the month.
The Commissioner of elections has made the ruling that the current list of voters would be used in the Bye Elections while the new list would be used for the up coming general elections expected than March, 2007. I will definitely not take that long. My prediction is that it will come in the last quarter of 2006.