The Saint Lucia Labour Party has established a commanding position heading into Monday's general election. Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre called the snap election 11 months early, banking on a record of infrastructure delivery and economic stabilization to secure what has been predicted will be "one of the largest margins" in party history. After the SLP's 13-2 landslide in 2021, few are betting against him.

But while the red wave builds momentum, the UWP finds itself fighting battles on two fronts: against the governing party in constituencies across the island, and against the ghosts of its own fractured leadership.

When Compton's Legacy Rejects Chastanet

The wounds run deeper than electoral mathematics. Nina Compton's 2020 rejection of Chastanet's Goodwill Ambassador offer wasn't just about family solidarity with her sister Jeannine, it was a public distancing of the Compton name from the current UWP leadership. Lady Janice Compton, Sir John's widow, has watched silently as the party her husband built drifts far from its moorings. When the Compton name distances itself, people notice.

Now comes the knockout punch: Edmund Estephane, former Dennery South MP and Sports Minister under Chastanet, has publicly endorsed the SLP and declared he will "never, ever, ever allow Allen Chastanet to lead this country again". Standing on an SLP platform in Dennery Sorth, Estephane accused Chastanet of "losing the party's soul".

The move was calculated. When the UWP sidelined Estephane and endorsed Benson Emil for Dennery South, the SLP countered by endorsing Estephane's brother, John Paul, for Babonneau. The former minister now openly campaigns for his brother and the SLP government.

"We gave him an opportunity, and he failed us," Estephane declared. "It's not about red or yellow anymore. This is my people".

Politicians at Estephane's level don't make such moves without calculation. His endorsement came with allegations that "some UWPs who are hurting want to kill me" and accusations that Chastanet and Guy Joseph had taken "complete control". The bitterness is palpable, the rupture complete.

Former UWP chairman Andy Daniel already resigned in January, publicly stating Chastanet should never again lead Saint Lucia. The exodus extends beyond Daniel; former MPs and constituency executives who once formed the backbone of the party's organizing apparatus have walked away.

The Grassroots Whisper

The UWP has fielded a full slate of 17 candidates, and in Gros Islet, Castries Central, and scattered battlegrounds, they're putting up fights. The messaging is sharp; "Right the Wrong," "You Deserve Better". But whispers from within their own constituency machinery tell a different story: Chastanet's presence at campaign events drives down support rather than energizing voters.

When your own organizers question the leader's electoral value, the path to victory narrows dramatically. Multiple former members and constituency executives have gone public with the same assessment: a top-down leadership style that marginalizes experienced voices, a culture where loyalty to Chastanet matters more than loyalty to nation.

The SLP's Calculated Strike

Pierre has played his cards with precision. The early election call caught the opposition before it could resolve its leadership questions. By framing the campaign around "record of delivery", national debt down from 81.5 to 73.5 percent, infrastructure projects completed, Pierre has positioned this as a referendum on competence.

The SLP's strategic recruitment of Estephane's brother demonstrates political ruthlessness. They've turned the UWP's internal discord into their greatest campaign weapon.

As Saint Lucians prepare to vote, the question isn't whether the SLP will retain power, most indicators say they will. The question is whether the UWP can survive another crushing defeat with its current leadership intact. When the founder's widow keeps her distance, when his daughter rejects the leader's overtures, and when former ministers declare "never again," the message is unmistakable.

Right now, the momentum belongs entirely to the Saint Lucia Labour Party.

By Marius Hippolyte