By James Stanislaus
The people of St. Lucia are at a breaking point, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of problems and botherations plaguing our country. Violent crime, subpar healthcare, exorbitant living costs, stifling taxes, wide spread poverty, salaciousness, social deviance, crumbling infrastructure, a comatose economy, and a lack of job opportunities are the ingredients of a cocktail of crippling maladies that have created a sense of hopelessness and desperation. But what’s even more egregious is this administration’s deliberate attempt to keep the truth from the people, feeding them from a menu of lies, half-truths, and propaganda to tighten their clench on power.
The most recent actions of the Minister of Investment are a prime example of this administration’s blatant disregard for the truth. By presenting a long-overdue report on the Citizenship by Investment Program, while conveniently omitting the more recent and equally overdue report, the Minister has demonstrated a flagrant disrespect for the legal requirements of the Citizenship by Investment Act and a callous disregard for the people’s right to know. This devious tactic, designed to create confusion and even more division among a people already divided by partisan politics, is a ‘souflete’ (Kweyol for slap) in the face of the public at large.
Furthermore, the Minister’s decision to present this incomplete report under the guise of a Minister’s Statement in the House of Parliament is a cynical attempt to exploit the protection afforded by the House rules. By doing so, the Minister has deliberately circumvented the opposition’s ability to question, debate, or discuss the subject matter on the day, effectively silencing their voices and denying the public the opportunity for scrutiny and accountability.
This is not just a crafty parliamentary maneuver; it is an impudent and calculated abuse of power. The Minister’s actions demonstrate a clear intention to avoid answering the unabating questions posed by the media, the opposition and the people at large, questions that have been lingering unanswered for far too long. By hiding behind the Minister’s Statement, the Minister has shown a brazen disregard for the the principles of transparency and accountability, two cornerstones of good governance.
The SLP administration’s methodology is to operate like a gang, circling the wagons to defend each other’s incompetence and conceal their wrongdoings from the public. They employ tokenism and palm-greasing to the disgruntled members of the ‘Red Army’ and intimidation, trivialization, and victimization to silence those concerned and brave enough to speak out publicly against their flagrant mismanagement and corruption. This sets a dangerous precedent, spawning and perpetuating a cannibalistic culture of social deviance, corruption, crime and gang violence that has become all too prevalent in our society.
Despite this governments best efforts at distractions and deflections and shaming and blaming, the people are not fooled by the government’s attempts to divide and conquer through partisan politics. The people see through the Minister’s question-dodging, selective silence, and preposterous explanations for what it is. They recognize the Prime Minister’s complicity in this charade, and they are fed up with the disrespect and suffering inflicted upon them.
The opposition must take an unrelenting stand against this bullying government, but it cannot do so alone. The people, from all walks of society, must come together, united in their demand for transparency, accountability, and good governance. We cannot continue down this slippery slope, where the price of protecting the victory of a few is the destruction of our country.
The SLP administration’s actions are a betrayal of the public’s trust. It is time for the people to apply brake on this runaway government. It is time for the people to hold this out of control government accountable. The majority of the people will no longer be silenced, intimidated, or divided. We will not be fooled by this administration’s lies and half-truths. We demand a government that serves the interest of all of the people, not just the interests of a chosen few.
It is time for change. It is time for a government that prioritizes the well-being of its citizens, not just the preservation of power. We will rise up, united, to demand a better future for our country. This SLP administration’s reign of deceit and bullying must come to an end.