The daughter of the late former prime minister, Sir John Compton, who resigned from the ruling United Workers Party (UWP) in St Lucia has accused the party of neglecting the principles and philosophies for which it once stood.
While not naming anyone, Janine Compton-Antoine told a news conference that the laws of the country were also being ignored.
“Ministers do what they want in the constituency with no consultation with either the representative of the local government authority. The decisions of the Village Council are ignored or overruled.
“There is no respect by Central Government for the people of the constituency who give their time to be councilors. Local government exists only on paper. The procedures and regulations of ministries and laws of St. Lucia are ignored and activities that ignore the very rule of law continue unabated,” she told reporters.
Compton-Antoine, who successfully contested the by election for the Micoud North constituency, which her father represented until his death in 2007, also chided the UWP and the government for the “absolute neglect” of the people whom she represents in Parliament.
She said that this was being done despite the fact that the constituency is the only one with a 47-year unbroken record of support to the UWP, which is gearing for elections later this year.
“It is sad to say that with all that love and loyalty to the party, the constituency has continued to be neglected. Limited budgetary allocations are a continual thing and if it was not for the grant aid funding and assistance from embassies and agencies very little would have been accomplished.
“Maybe as this is an election year there would have been a mad rush to implement projects in order to win over the people,” Compton-Antoine noted.
She told reporters that Prime Minister Stephenson King has yet to formally visit the constituency after three years of asking.
“Three months after Hurricane Tomas the Prime Minister is yet to visit Micoud North. It was almost one month after the passage of the Hurricane I was able to see the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to appraise them as to what happened in the constituency.”
She said she was elected to speak on behalf of the people an that her voice was being ignored. More-over she claimed that the party has lost its moorings.
“Therefore because the hierarchy of the party no longer stands for what it should, because the constituency is disregarded and would have continued to be disregarded, if I did not take a stand and because of the very foundation of our country, the laws and regulations that govern us are ignored, I made the decision under the guidance of God to leave the UWP.
“My voice will be more powerful now and I will continue to stand up for what is right. I have not abandoned the people of my constituency. I know that they feel I did not consult with them, however I was guided by the Almighty and the decision was made with their interest at heart,” she noted.
News of Compton-Antoine’s resignation was confirmed earlier this week by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rosemary-Husbands Mathurin who told the press that she had received a copy of the letter that was addressed to the Prime Minister.
She said the letter indicated that Compton-Antoine had resigned from the party founded by her late father and would remain as an independent legislator.
“With her letter of resignation she will remain the parliamentary representative for Micoud North, so it does not change her parliamentary position but it does change her affiliation with the United Workers Party and so they no longer have eleven seats in the Chamber but are down to 10, with the MP now serving as an independent,” the House Speaker said.
Compton-Antoine has often disagreed with some of the polices and decisions of the King administration and on occasions sided with the opposition St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) in the Parliament.
General election is constitutionally due by March next year, but widely expected later this year. (CMC)
