CASTRIES, St. Lucia: - The Lucian Peoples Movement (LPM) had demanded clarification
from the Kenny Anthony administration in St Lucia regarding the alleged
“non-performance” of the consul general in Miami, Kent Hippolyte, for more than
a decade.
“It is disheartening that the leader of our country can sympathize with its
citizens regarding the sad state of our economy while allowing unproductive
legislative representatives to continue to live lavishly at the expense of
deteriorating national and regional economies,” the LPM said in a statement.
The leader of the LPM, Therold Prudent, pointed to the foreign policy section
of the party’s 2011 manifesto
(http://lpmstlucia.com/strengthening-foreign-policy.html), which clearly and
transparently described a system of accountability that the LPM would have
implemented had the balance of power been in its favour in the last elections.
Prudent said that he fails to understand why Anthony has not put his personal
pride aside by fully adopting a similar policy to that of the LPM, to increase
the functions and responsibilities of international legislators such as
ambassadors and other diplomatic personnel, who should be required to report,
on a quarterly or semi-annual basis, the results of their work to St Lucians as
tax revenues continue to fully fund their professional functions.
“The days when the government and the people of St Lucia supported political
operatives abroad who saw their appointments as luxurious cushions on which to
relax and smooch with foreign diplomats who, after the night was over, could
not remember their names must come to an end. St Lucians can no longer afford
to tolerate the actions of governments who appoint persons who do not fully
understand that our brand of diplomacy entails a vigorous strategy to market St
Lucia abroad and thereby attract potential investors who are capable of
creating jobs and opportunities for the people,” Prudent said.
According to Prudent, a better-served St Lucia requires transparent, and a
series of serious steps to make things right for the people.
“It leaves the St Lucian masses to wonder whether Kenny’s objective for our
country is a response to his upcoming departure from the political arena,
providing a temporary, clouded fix with STEP, SMILE, etc. and, at the
conclusion of his irresponsible mismanagement, leaving an exorbitant national
debt to be dumped on his replacement while he sits in luxurious retirement,” he
concluded.
