Chairman: Mr. Ezechiel Joseph Political Leader: Mr. Allen Chastanet General Secretary: Mr. Oswald Augustin

American Drywall Building, Vide Bouteille, Castries,

P.O. Box, Castries, Saint Lucia www.uwpstlucia.com

     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

15th, August, 2013 CONTACT:

 

UWP  RESPONDS  TO  LABOUR  GOVERNMENT  ATTEMPT  TO  VEIL  THE  TRUTH  AND  DISTORT  THE  FACTS  

The  United  Workers  Party  is  indeed  pleased  that  the  recent  Address  to  the  Nation  by  its  newly  elected  Political   Leader,  Mr.  Allen  Chastanet,   has  drawn   so  much   interest   from  Government  and  Labour  Party  Operatives.  The  August  13th,  2013  Press  Release  from  the  Office  of  the  Prime  Minister  was   indeed   another   feeble   attempt   to   discredit   the   new   indomitable  UWP   Leader,  Mr.  Allen  Chastanet.      

,  it  is  important  to  review  the  August  13th  Press  Release  in  order  to  set  the  record  straight.      It  must  be  noted  that  the  Address  by  the  Po -­‐ ,  not  just  with  respect  to  the  OECS,  but  also  the  United  Kingdom  and  the  United  States  of  America.  The  concern   expressed   was   the   proposed   use   of   the   SUCRE   as   the   trading   currency   of   ALBA  Countries,  and  the   implications  for  the  OECS  Monetary  Union.   In  other  words,  does  St.  Lucia  plan  to  leave  the  ECMU  and  abandon  the  Easter  Caribbean  Dollar?   to  ALBA   now   put   us   in   conflict  with   the     Pro-­‐   Argentina   position   on   The   Falklands   Islands   and  could   have   serious   repercussions   for   our   Foreign   Policy   standing   with   the   United   Kingdom.  Similarly,   the  clear  anti-­‐USAID  stance  of  ALBA  may  undermine  our   longstanding  relationships  with  the  USA.  Such  decisions  can  have  widespread  implications  for  our  nation  as  a  whole  and  ought  to  be  part  of  a  national  debate.  These  are  major  concerns  which  affect  our  people  and  they  must  be  aware  of  the  implications,  and  be  given  the  opportunity  to  express  their  opinions  on.  Matters  of  Foreign  Policy  should  not  be   left  exclusively   to  the  dictates  of  a  short-­‐sighted  Government.      

   Chairman: Mr. Ezechiel Joseph Political Leader: Mr. Allen Chastanet General Secretary: Mr. Oswald Augustin

The   suggestion   for   the  need   for   Parliamentary   approval   as   relates   to  ALBA   is   in   consonance  with   transparent  and  participatory  democracy!   The  history  of  Labour  Party  Governments   led  by  Prime  Minister  Anthony,  gives  natural  cause  for  concern,  as  reflected  in  the  very  recent  and  damning  examples  of  Rochamel  and  Grynberg  which      It   is,   therefore,  parallels   between   the   Caribbean   Tourism   Organisation   (CTO),   Food   and   Agricultural  Organisation  (FAO)  and  ALBA.  This  is  clearly  an  attempt  at  mixing  the  disparate  issues  with  all  the   attendant   connotations.   The   UWP   insist   that   because   of   the   implications   re:   debt  accumulation  ref.  Petro  Caraibe  which  is  an  initiative  of  ALBA  and  the  potential  political  fall-­‐out  from  membership  of  ALBA  which  is  an  anti  -­‐  American  Alliance  that  the  approval  of  Parliament  MUST  be  sought.      Our  apprehensions  regarding  ALBA  may  already  be  gaining  merit  in  the  recent  manifestations  of  possible  US  reprisals.      Further,  the  articulation  of  policy  intent  within  a  Throne  Speech  does  NOT    before  consulting  with  the  people  and  parliament.  The  fact  is,  most  Saint  Lucians  do  not  know  or  understand  what  ALBA  is  or  represents.  This  approach  is  what  in  our  folklore  is  referred  to  

an  Sak the  Devil  hidden  in  a  sac).      The  worn  out   strategy  of   seeking   tUWP   Administration   by   bringing   into   question   Minimum   Revenue   Guarantees   (MRG)  agreements   with   some   airlines   is   exposed   by   its   own   pale   weakness.   Firstly   Mr.   Chastanet  makes  it  clear  that  all  MRGs  were  subject  to  approval  by  the  Cabinet  of  Ministers  and  were  in  fact  signed  by  the  St  Lucia  Tourist  Board  and  not  the  Minister  of  Tourism.  The  shallowness  of  this  attempt   to  denigrate   the  UWP  Political   Leader   is  highlighted  by   the   fact   that   the  use  of  MRGs   is   a   policy  which   has   been   employed   by   successive   UWP   and   SLP   Governments.   It   is  obvious  that  such  agreements  are  treated  as  confidential  for  strategic  purposes.   It   is  for  that  same  reason  that  the  current  Government  might  not  wish  to  divulge  the  details  of  the  current  agreement/arrangements  between  itself  and  United  Airlines.      There   is,   however,   a   deafening   silence   from   the   Government   on   issues   that   are   of   grave  concern  to  Saint  Lucians,  as  they  affect  and  threaten  our  livelihoods  and  sovereignty.    The  following  issues   are  restated  for  the  attention  and  response  of  the  Kenny  Anthony  Administration:        

- The  removal  of  VAT  on  ALL  reading  glasses  for  senior  citizens;  - The  removal  of  VAT  on  ALL  medication;  - The  request  for  full  disclosure  and  clarification  on  the  award  of  a  contract  by  SLASPA  for  

the  construction  and  operation  of  a  Fixed  Based  Operation  (Private  Jet  Terminal)  at  HIA;  - The  status  of  Post  Hurricane  Tomas  Reconstruction  Projects;  - The  revision  of  the  VAT  with  a  view  to  reduction  of  the  rate;  - The  update  on  the  St  Jude  Hospital  Redevelopment  Project  and  a  definitive  statement  

on  a  date  for  returning  the  Hospital  to  its  original  home;        

   Chairman: Mr. Ezechiel Joseph Political Leader: Mr. Allen Chastanet General Secretary: Mr. Oswald Augustin

- The  full  disclosure  on  how  much  money  was  collected   from  the  Airport  Development  Tax  for  the  Hewanorra  International  Airport  Redevelopment  Project;  

 

address  the  Nation  on  the  troubling  Grynberg  matter.      Finally  the  Address  to  the  Nation  by  newly  elected  Political  Leader  of  the  United  Workers  Party  presented  the  Labour  Party  and  the  current  Government  with  an  opportunity  to  engage  on  a  new   standard   of   political   discourse.   During   his   address,  Mr.   Chastanet   stated   the   following:  our  people  deserve  better  than  the  maypwee  and  personal  character  attacks  which  pass  for  political  discourse,  and  they  are  demanding,  rightly,  that  our  exchanges  be  about  real  issues  

.   And  I  say  to  members  and  supporters  of  the  UWP,  the  Labour  Party  is  not  our  enemy,  Kenny  Anthony  is  not  our  enemy,  his  ministers  and  supporters  are  not  our  enemies.    But  we  do  have  enemies    and   our   enemies   are   poverty,   unemployment,   ignorance   and   apathy;   and   we   must   fight  

   We  continue  to  seek  opportunities  to  engage  all  interested  parties  in  this  new  dialogue  about  the  current  and  future  development  of  our  small  nation.     Ends/