There, the leadership faced the scrutiny of its party faithful and the Political Leader, Philip J. Pierre, had to undergo the rigours of a secret ballot vote of confidence.
Ultimately, all 268 delegates expressed their unwavering support for Pierre’s leadership, giving him a 100% vote of confidence, for the second time. Following this reassurance, Pierre says he remains committed to fulfilling his promises to Saint Lucians.
“Our mantra of “Putting People First” - that remains my singular, most important objective to the people of Saint Lucia. I pledge to continue doing that,” PM Pierre says. Pierre expressed his gratitude to his constituents for trusting his ability to represent their interests. This, he says, is his greatest honour.
“I am very grateful that the people of Castries East have, on six consecutive occasions, gone to the ballot and voted for me. I can’t have a more singular honour than that. I am humbled.”
Pierre says he uses the “people” to guide his actions and policies. His victory at the polls in 2021 and the confidence shown by the executive council of his party show that the people understand his vision, Pierre contended.
“I use the people as my guide. With all the criticisms and misinformation, the people are my guide. I take my guidance from the people, and the people have shown me that they agree with what I’m doing,” he said, adding, “The delegates have given a mark of approval of what the government is doing. I am very thankful. I will continue where we started.”
On that same Sunday, the United Workers’ Party held an island-wide whistle-stop. The Opposition has called for a premature election date, voicing their dissatisfaction with the Pierre Administration’s policies. The UWP has taken particular issue with the government’s imposition of the 2.5% Health and Citizen Security Levy. Pierre, however, takes issue with the UWP’s assertion that the levy is ill-timed. The Prime Minister says that healthcare needs funding, be it today or tomorrow.
“Who would pay for it? It could come from the NIC, but who would pay for it? This [is the] hypocrisy that is peddled in this country about funding health and funding security.” PM Pierre asked. With his model, he clarified, that citizens would pay extra on imported goods and services to cover the cost of healthcare and citizen security. “What we’re saying now is that everyone pays a little bit, but in the meantime, those who cannot afford are helped through our social programmes,” he explained.
Healthcare and citizen security were outlined as the administration’s main objectives for the year 2023. In 2024, the government intends to tackle infrastructure.