St Lucia: PM not bothered by resignation of Deputy Speaker

CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC - Prime Minister Stephenson King has brushed aside opposition suggestions that the resignation of a second parliamentarian from his ruling United Workers Party (UWP) is an indication of turmoil within his party ahead of the general elections later this year.



King, commenting on the resignation of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly Marcus Nicholas, earlier this week, said that while he has not received any formal correspondence from the representative for the Micoud North constituency, it was Nicholas’s right to leave the party.



“While I have not received any correspondence from Marcus Nicholas, I must admit this is democracy at work. His decision to resign is the hallmark of a democracy, the ability of an individual to determine to end his affiliation, his association with the party.



“This is a factor enshrined in the constitution, hence the reason why I participate in democracy in this country, and so it’s business as usual,” King told reporters.



The Prime Minister said his administration had attached little significance to the action taken by Nicholas adding that his focus was on the development of the country and not the charade that goes on in public.



“I am looking after the interest of my government and the development of the country, that’s what I continue to focus on, what we need to do to improve the lot of the people, how we set the agenda of the government, how we engage the people, we don’t get involved in the charade that goes on in public, we are about building the country,” he added.



Prime Minister King however declined comment on claims by Nicholas of his government’s mishandling of Taiwanese funds, which led to his resignation.



Nicholas was critical of the government's decision to re-direct funds from the Dennery North Rural Council to the Dennery South Village Council.



“That has not gone down well with the people of the valley who are not happy with the treatment meted out to their district rep, and this has caused a lot of problems within the constituency and I personally cannot take it anymore,” he said.



Nicholas is the second parliamentarian to resign from the UWP. The other being Janine Compton Rambally, the daughter of the late prime minister Sir John Compton, who died a year after he led the party to victory in the 2006 general election.



Meanwhile, the deputy leader of the main opposition St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) Phillip J Pierre told a news conference Wednesday said that as a result of the two resignations, the government in effect now controls only nine of the 17 seats in Parliament.



He said King’s ability to control members of his Cabinet has always been a matter of public concern and with the new configuration of the seats in Parliament which gives his only a one seat majority “his concerns have now assumed frightening proportions.”



“Only heaven knows what we can now expect, now that the Prime Minister is comatose and a hostage to every member of his Cabinet,” Pierre noted.



The opposition party has consistently accused the ruling party of not channeling the Taiwanese funds through the consolidated fund as required by law, but paying out monies directly to town and village councils to undertake community projects.



Prime Minister King addressing a news conference this week said that this was nothing new as under the former SLP government, funds from the Government of China for major projects were never sourced through government coffers.



But Pierre said the Chinese funded projects were constructed under an agreement with the various ministries under a design and construct plan, and as a result no monies were required to be put in the consolidated fund.