CASTRIES, St Lucia (Dec 11, 2013) – As the year 2013 races to a close and the holiday season falls upon us, the Lucian People’s Movement (LPM), is very thankful to the growing number of Saint Lucian families who have become receptive and have allowed the party’s contribution towards Saint Lucia’s national development to be broadcast and read in their homes.
Our incremental successes could never have been possible had it not been for the unbiased and progressive mindset of local and regional media practitioners, who cherish the ideals of free speech and journalistic independence within a democracy; and understand that the thrust of their commitment is to educate their listeners and readers on a wide range of contributions that are not solely limited to the two traditional political parties on the island. These media personnel are deserving of much respect, gratitude and thanks.
In reflecting upon the modest strides that the LPM made in 2013, which include a successful national tour in August, party leader, Therold Prudent, believes that these are encouraging signals pointing to the growing level of political maturity emanating from the Saint Lucian electorate.
“The fact that people are willing to listen to alternative suggestions on how to revamp our foreign policy to achieve positive results geared towards job creation and attracting foreign investment, including a serious look at South Africa as a possible region where our students can be educated for a fraction of what it would cost to send them to the US, Canada and England, speaks volumes.”
Moreover, one cannot discount the enthusiasm that has been shown towards the LPM’s initiative to encourage Saint Lucian families to transform their backyards into kitchen gardens, which has resulted in substantial savings in terms of the amount spent on purchasing vegetables and other local produce. This is yet further evidence of the changing attitudes of the Saint Lucian people towards the LPM.
Prudent also pointed to the party’s contribution to crime reduction and prevention, which includes a long-standing suggestion that a National Consultation be convened so as to afford the people of Saint Lucia the opportunity to offer direct input and work collaboratively on plans to manage crime more effectively. “You can’t talk about a comprehensive solution to handling crime in the absence of a serious effort to commence a national dialogue with the many frustrated and disenfranchised youth in the country, their parents, the business establishment, the media, law enforcement, religious institutions, farmers, teachers, medical personnel, the families of the deceased and other victims of crime,” he added.
Among the numerous valuable contributions the LPM has made to the Saint Lucian political discourse in 2013, it has touted the need to safeguard the nation’s patrimony against those who seek to belittle our sovereignty for political mileage and profit, including calls to the Saint Lucia Labour Party government to consider restoring local government elections so as to allow all communities throughout the island the democratic right to choose their own representatives. This is further proof of the LPM’s serious intention to see a better Saint Lucia than what currently exists.
Therefore, being extremely satisfied with the manner in which the party was able to raise the level of the political discourse in the country, the LPM wishes to extend holiday greetings to all Saint Lucians and looks forward to a resumption of its political contributions in 2014.
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St. Lucia News