As people across the globe awaited the outcome of Tuesday’s United States presidential election, Saint Lucia community activist and concerned citizen Aaron Alexander seized the moment to address a pressing issue within his own country – a fixed date for general elections.
In a statement to St. Lucia Times, Alexander highlighted the ongoing improvements made by the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government in recent years, acknowledging the party’s varied efforts to uplift citizens.
“We in Saint Lucia can see, since the last general elections, this Saint Lucia Labour Party government has set out on an ambitious task of improving the lives of our own people on different levels,” Alexander stated.
In this regard, he pointed to measures like the institution of a minimum wage, increased pension payments, support for the police in crime prevention, the reinstatement of the distress fund, the removal of VAT on building materials, and the distribution of laptops to schoolchildren.
While he praised these initiatives, Alexander was clear that the government is not without its faults. “Perfection is not in humanity,” he said, reminding the public that while improvement is essential, the quest for perfection remains an ongoing pursuit.
Central to Alexander’s remarks was his call for a fixed election date, a longstanding issue for many Saint Lucians.
“During the last elections, one of the hot button issues was having a fixed date for our general elections here in Saint Lucia,” he recalled.
Reflecting on previous experiences, he criticised the former United Workers Party (UWP) administration’s use of the election date announcement as “a dangling carrot” in front of the electorate – a tactic the community activist urged the current SLP administration to avoid.
Alexander appealed to Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, urging him to leverage his party’s parliamentary majority to enact a fixed election date through constitutional amendment or statutory declaration.
He argued that Saint Lucia should follow in the footsteps of the United States, where elections occur on a fixed date. For Saint Lucia, Alexander suggested a similar arrangement every five years.
“Mr. Prime Minister, you need to do this, my brother,” he stated.
In closing, Alexander underscored that this measure would be a “precious gift” to Saint Lucians, fostering stability and transparency in the electoral process and ensuring that future election dates are not subject to political maneuvering.
