The Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) has hailed its “Walk for Progress,” which drew large crowds from all 17 constituencies, as a success.
In a sea of red, supporters took to the streets on Sunday to show their backing for the SLP government’s achievements since its election to government on July 26, 2021.
The walk began at the Vigie Playing Field and ended at the Castries Market.
Before the event, the opposition United Workers Party (UWP) had suggested that the walk was a strategy to gauge SLP support ahead of a possible early election.
However, Prime Minister and SLP leader Philip J. Pierre dismissed the notion.
Pierre also called for unity.
“There are certain things we have to work on together. We cannot continue to divide the country. We cannot continue these personal attacks. We cannot continue to spoil the name of the country abroad,” he asserted.
“This is a democracy and there is room for an opposition. There always will be an opposition. I was in opposition myself, I understand the opposition, but the idea of destroying the country, we must stop it. This country does not belong to me. It belongs to the people,” Pierre said.
Former UWP leader Stephenson King also addressed the opposition’s suggestion of early elections.
“If they believe this is an indication of an early election, then they should be prepared,” King remarked.
“This is an indication of where we are at the midpoint and what is likely to come in the remaining two years. This is just to get the Saint Lucian people to have that appreciation,” King stated regarding the SLP activity.
The former UWP leader had contested the 2021 election as an independent and, after retaining his Castries North seat, joined the Philip J. Pierre government as a Senior Minister.
Despite the opposition claims, the SLP has reiterated that its ‘Walk for Progress’, instead of being a precursor to an early election, celebrated the government’s accomplishments in office thus far.
