St Lucia: SPL to submit no confidence motion today

The Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) said it will be filing a motion of confidence in Prime Minister and Finance Minister Allen Chastanet on Tuesday.

It is expected that the motion will outline the reasons why the public of Saint Lucia should have no confidence in the Prime Minister’s management of the country and call for his immediate resignation.

A copy of the motion will be delivered to the Clerk of the Parliament the sitting begins.

“It is expected that the motion will outline the reasons why the public of Saint Lucia should have no confidence in the Prime Minister’s management of the country and call for his immediate resignation,” the SLP said in a brief statement on Monday afternoon.

Opposition leader Philip J Pierre indicated his intention to submit such a motion at a national protest march and rally organised by the SLP in September.

“What is next is we have to continue to apply maximum pressure on Allen Chastanet till he resigns and call general elections. Very soon, I will be going to parliament to move a vote of no confidence in the government of Allen Chastanet,” adding, “Very soon I will be calling you back on the streets to march to see the back of this government. Chastanet must go!”

Saint Lucia’s form of government is based on the British parliamentary system, also known as the Westminster system.

Chastanet has, however, brushed aside, and even scoffed at the idea of a motion of no confidence.

Chastanet said, ”Motions of no confidence have been presented on several occasions in the Caribbean,” noting that the parliamentary composition of 11 elected members of his own United Workers Party (UWP) are obligated to vote the party lines at all times, compared to six elected members of the opposition.

“Very rarely do you see it succeed. I am confident that this one will have no success other than (the opposition) calling attention to themselves,” Chastanet said.

However, Pierre has indicated that government is responsible to the people, and that he is very comfortable in applying the tools of the parliamentary system for responsible government.

“We will leave each minister to his conscience,” he said, adding that “all government legislators would have to give an account of their stewardship since coming to office.”