For the 5th time in his political career, Sir John George Melvin Compton was sworn in as The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia. The ceremony began this morning a little after 10am at Government House. It was presided over by Governor-general Dame Pearlette louisy.

The Prime Minister was accompanied to Government House by his wife Lady Janice Compton and other members of his family and his United Workers Party. Sir John wearing a dark blue suit, light blue tie and shirt was officially sworn in at 10:15.

Following the ceremony he was embraced by members of his family including his children and grand-children. The 81 year old sir john then delivered his first address as the prime minister of Saint Lucia.

He called for unity and a country not divided along party lines but instead united for the sake of all.

The Prime Minister also spoke of his new cabinet which he says will be sworn in on Tuesday.

Tempers flared Wednesday, as Labour Party supporters took to the street in protest of the demanded for a recount in one constituency. The United Workers Party Castries East group had been informed of discrepancies in the balloting process, which they wanted addressed.

Heavily-armed police officers stood guard at the doors of the Electoral Office in Castries as the ballots were tallied for a third time. Unrest brewing in the streets nearby. It was left to the SLP’s man for the constituency to keep his followers calm.

The SLP Deputy Chairman who is a member of the Electoral Commission tried to explain that Mayers was within his right to ask for a recount. But there were some who were disappointed that the

After spending some time recounting ballots, the losing candidate called a halt to the process accepting the result favouring Philip Pierre. But, Mayers was happy enough that his party is in power and for him that is all that mattered.

Following the controversy over the recount, Labour party supporters took to the streets to bury the UWP candidate. During a mock ceremony in marchland Wednesday, the effigy of Guy Mayers was put to rest.

Scores of Labourites, still reeling from the general election loss, took comfort in the fact that the former deputy prime minister was able to retain his seat, by some 200 votes. The mock funeral service was complete with programmes, mourners, and a cross carried through the streets in the fashion of a funeral procession. The mock burial followed similar exercises in Castries central, Babonneau and other constituencies around the island.

The Hewannora Musical Society says both political parties need to pay for play. The Society represents the interests of local and regional artists in Saint Lucia. Steve Etienne is the General Manager of HMS.
He says despite talks during the political season, neither party has paid for the use of music in their campaigns.

Etienne has called on the political parties to lead by example. He says their response will speak volumes to the importance politicians ascribe to intellectual property rights. It will also acknowledge the role music played in a very busy campaign season.

HMS held similar discussions with both parties following the 2001 elections. Back then and now both parties agreed to settle all outstanding royalties. But neither party hounoured its pledge in 2001 citing a lack of funding following their campaigns. Etienne says he will not be blindsided again. Most of the songs HMS says led and sustained both campaigns were penned by its members.

St. Lucia’s Accountant General is expressing discomfort with the use of the word loophole regarding accountability in the island’s finances. Director of Audit Arlette Hyacinth said recently that a problem with accounts being backlogged since 1998 is not good.

But the Accountant General says the situation is not his fault. Agosta Degazon says he only came into office in 2003, but the problem began long before his time. The Auditor General has not received public accounts to audit since 1998. 

But Former Prime Minister and Minister of Finance – Dr. Kenny Anthony says the fact that Accounts have not been submitted is not uncommon. The Audit Director contends that the law mandates audits of public accounts at least once a year.

Degazon says he informed the Auditor General of a project to update the island’s financial records for 1999 to 2005 and that project was approved. There is a Public Accounts Committee that should be pressing for regular audits of public accounts, but that committee has not been functional.

But Degazon believes the Auditor General’s statement was a little tough. The Accountant General wants to get all his accounts updated by June 2007.  Many questions asked during campaigning should be answered after the books are updated.

After sweeping to office in 1997 with a phenomenal 16-1 mandate and repeating a similar feat with a 14-3 majority in 2001 the St. Lucia Labor party suffered a stunning 11-6 at the polls this year. One of the most popular administrations in the history of St. Lucian politics was unceremoniously cast aside on Monday December 11th.

Some of the voters we spoke cited concerns over escalating crime and the government’s handling of a long list of controversial matters. Voters recalled the SLP parliamentarians’ reaction to the McDoom affair in 2003 when the Speaker of the House was accused by international fashion consultant Mc Doom of raping him as a boy.

The second term of the Dr. Kenny Anthony administration was dogged by a number of controversial matters from the Helenites Affair to cost overruns on projects such as the Vieux Fort/Soufriere highway. But chief among them were the Rochamel and NCA affairs.

The controversy over whether the Prime Minister sought approval from parliament to guarantee a loan was fought in the courts and the government won, but lost in the court of public opinion A one man commission set up to investigate allegations of corruption at the National Conservation Authority including allegations money was paid out to individuals some of whom were not employed at the NCA and in some cases work which was not government-related.

The then Embattled Minister for Social Transformation, Menissa Rambally sounded a war-cry to those who were calling for her removal in light of her handling of the NCA affair. Relations with the media which deteriorated in the second term were exacerbated with the media terrorism statement on the market steps in 2003.

The former Prime Minister later apologized for the comments.But the major problem was still crime and the perception that the administration was soft on the issue. Although the government had spent millions on improving working conditions, equipping and increasing the size of the police force, there was an up tick in the number of homicides most of which remain unsolved.

Some of the voters expressed disappointment in what they claim was a lavish 2006 general election campaign. The live televised broadcasts and huge shows did not sit well with an electorate which participated in the activities.

The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers came to Saint Lucia in 1990. This year is the 17th consecutive year the event will end at the Rodney Bay Marina. It also concludes the negotiated contract between the World Cruising Club and the Saint Lucia Tourist Board.

The event which begins in Las Palmas is organized by the World Cruising Club. Andrew Bishop is the Director of the World Cruising Club. He says the event has found a home in Saint Lucia. This was welcome news to Tourist Board Director Maria Fowell.

Fowell experienced the start of the ARC for the first time from Las Palmas on November 26th. She says she looks forward to a continuing relationship.

The end of the race is often not as grand as the start when all the competitors set sail. Nevertheless, Thursday’s finish was no less grand at the Rodney Bay Marina. It was complete with a welcome basket, goodie bags and drinks. It was a gesture well appreciated by this Finnish crew.

Most of the 225 ARC participants are expected to be on island for the prize giving ceremony next Thursday December 21st.

The sponsors of this year’s Atlantic Rally for Cruisers handed over their sponsorship cheques to event organizer the Saint Lucia Tourist Board Thursday morning. The gold sponsors all contributed us$10,000 in cash and kind for staging the event on the local level.

Cheques were presented by representatives of Heineken, Cable & Wireless B Mobile, Caribbean Jewel and Columbian Emeralds. The other gold sponsors are SOL, Choice Channel 39, The Wave and St Lucia Distillers.

The presentation took place at the St Lucia yacht club.

A memorial service for Chef Laurent Mouyaton was held Thursday in Castries. The French chef was killed last week, as he left the Coalpot restaurant at Vigie. Culinary experts from various eating establishments came to pay final respects to the French Chef who was killed in a brutal fashion.
It is believed that Chef Laurent was gunned down after he came out of his pick up truck to close the gate to the restaurant. Police investigating the killing are tending away from robbery as a motive for the homicide.
Chef Laurent had been living in St. Lucia for the last ten years, and is married to a local. The body of the deceased was shipped to his country of birth for burial.

Workers are already digging up the asphalt on the section of old road on the Castries/ Gros Islet Highway. That road will be abandoned in favour of the new round-a-bout. Part of it will be restored as part of the road expansion project.

The completed section of the Choc round-a-bout was opened on Wednesday. That road replaces a section of the Castries/ Gros-Islet Highway. It also allows for further work on the round-a-bout.

The Choc round-about is one of two planned for the four-lane roadway expected to be completed in 2007 in time for the Cricket World Cup.