St. Lucia: Information on the situation of visible supporters of the United Workers Party (UWP), especially following the 2001 elections
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 4 December 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LCA40627.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, St. Lucia: Information on the situation of visible supporters of the United Workers Party (UWP), especially following the 2001 elections, 4 December 2002, LCA40627.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4dc323.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a 3 August 2002 article in The Star, Planning Minister Walter Francois, of St. Lucia's Labour Party, resigned from Cabinet after falsely claiming that he held a Doctorate of Philosophy degree. However, national protests arose when Francois refused to resign from his Soufriere/Fond St. Jacques parliamentary seat (The Star 3 Aug. 2002). The St. Lucia Mirror reported that
things came to a head in [St. Lucia's] Constitution Park, just outside a regularly scheduled meeting of Parliament. The United Workers Party held a quiet protest, since police denied them permission to march. But Francois' supporters dressed in red also descended on Constitution Park. That's when sparks started to fly.
Outside the House, the Prime Minister's voice on the loudspeaker could barely be heard, as supporters of Francois raised their voices in his support. They were countering the UWP's protest, heckling party leader Dr. Vaughan Lewis, Senators Leonard Montoute and Rhikkie Alexander, executive members of the opposition and rank and file supporters alike. In spite of their counter-protest or maybe because of it, more and more people gathered in Constitution Park, drawing national attention to the opposition's new number one cause, in plain view of the Prime Minister and all members of Parliament (2 Aug. 2002).
A group called "Concerned Citizens of St. Lucia Overseas," led by Therold Prudent, held an international day of protest and demanded that the Labour Party discipline Francois (The Star 3 Aug. 2002). According to Prudent, "[Francois'] resignation has not gone far enough and if the Prime Minister is saying he wants to maintain an ethical standard, he has to go further than just accepting Francois' resignation" (ibid.). In addition to Francois' resignation, the UWP in St. Lucia was demanding a by-election in Soufriere (The St. Lucia Mirror 2 Aug. 2002); however, that demand was never met (The Star 5 Oct. 2002).
The St. Lucia protests created further tensions and calls for the resignation of Attorney General Petrus Compton (of the UWP) after Compton stated that
it was unlawful to hold meetings outside the House of Assembly ... and [Senator] Montoute [of the UWP] had been denied permission to do so by the Commissioner of Police. Montoute would be given a chance this time .... He would be dealt with the next time.
...
[D]eputy chairman of the [UWP] Lorne Theophilus, said ... "[the UWP] believes that Attorney General Petrus Compton broke the appropriate standards of conduct for those holding public office when addressing [the] public meeting in Soufriere in defence of a colleague. He usurped the responsibilities of the police and the director of public prosecutions by issuing threats to a member of the UWP, concerning an alleged breach of the Public Order Act, whilst overlooking similar conduct by members and supporters of the ruling party. The UWP therefore repeats its call for the resignation of the Attorney General" (ibid. 24 Aug. 2002).
As of 26 November 2002, Compton was still in his position as St. Lucia's Attorney General (Sluonestop.com 26 Nov. 2002).
No other reports regarding the supporters of the UWP in St. Lucia could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Sluonestop.com. 26 November 2002. "Gov't to Tax Dogs?" 'St. Lucia One Stop' ... was founded in 1998. It was the first established website about and for St. Lucians .... ... It currently delivers over 100,000 webpages per month to St. Lucian nationals both home and abroad, as well as to tourists interested in visiting the island. Its primary purpose is to keep everyone informed about happenings in St. Lucia on a daily basis (Sluonestop.com 22 July 2001). Sluonestop.com. 22 July 2001. "About St. Lucia One Stop." The Star. 5 October 2002. Jeanine Toussaint. "UWP Finally Speaks Up!" ______. 24 August 2002. "UWP Says Petrus Compton Must Go." ______. 3 August 2002. Eliza Francis. "The Francois Fallout Overseas." The St. Lucia Mirror. 2 August 2002. "Francois Tension: Opposing Parties Square Off Over a Problem That Won't Go Away." Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
Internet sites, including:
Amnesty International (AI)
Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC)
Electionsworld
The St. Lucia Mirror
The Star
Sluonestop.com
United Workers Party
World News Connection (WNC)
