Parliamentary Representative for Laborie and Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) stalwart Alva Baptiste has firmly dismissed the whispers of his impending retirement.
Baptiste made it clear that he has no plans to step away from politics anytime soon.
Rumors about his retirement from active politics have surfaced as the next general election draws closer.
Baptiste won the Laborie seat in 2006 and has retained it since then.
“As a matter of fact, if you look at me, I’m re-energised, younger, have more energy for me to take the Labour Party to a next victory in Laborie and, of course, nationally,“ he asserted.
According to the MP, his deep connection to the Laborie constituency and their shared struggles over the years keep him going.
“I am well immersed in the politics of the Labour Party, and I have decades of struggle with my people, and I cannot abandon them midstream,” he stated, dismissing any notion of stepping down.
“There is a lot of work to be done in Laborie. But why are they focused on us? There have been some people who have been in politics much longer than I have been, and I’m just getting started,” the Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs remarked.
Looking ahead, Baptiste reassured his supporters that when the time does come for him to pass the torch, it will be a smooth transition.
He promised to ensure that the next chosen generation would be prepared to love and care for the constituency- just as he has.
For now, however, Baptiste made it abundantly clear that he remains fully committed to serving Laborie and contributing to the SLP’s success on a national level.
