ST. LUCIA'S DISCONNECTED PRIME MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 001542

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/CAR AND WHA/PAS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC SNAR KPAO PINR UNGA ST XL
SUBJECT: ST. LUCIA'S DISCONNECTED PRIME MINISTER

REF: A. BRIDGETOWN 1538

B. BRIDGETOWN 1216

C. BRIDGETOWN 1215

Classified By: Ambassador Mary Kramer for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Kramer and MLO Aboyagye traveled
to St. Lucia August 3 to dedicate two SOUTHCOM-constructed
projects and meet informally with St. Lucia Prime Minister
Anthony. While both ceremonies created positive public
impressions of U.S.-St. Lucia cooperation, Ambassador Kramer
concluded that PM Anthony is considerably less committed to
and less capable of managing St. Lucia's diplomatic and
security responsibilities than he claims. He professed
unawareness that St. Lucia had delayed signing an Article 98
agreement, as well as ignorance of his government's
unresponsiveness to repeated USG efforts to focus St. Lucia
officials on bilateral cooperation or even to return phone
calls. Abandoning his earlier banana-related rationale for
rejecting Guatemala's candidacy for the upcoming UNSC
election, Anthony also highlighted the "vulnerability" of
small states as a reason to support Venezuela. A former
professor, PM Anthony seems more interested in pontificating
on what others should be doing in the international arena
than in becoming a responsible leader at home, in the region,
or globally. End Summary.

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BARRACKS TO BOOST COUNTERNARCOTICS CAPABILITY
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2. (C) On August 3 St. Lucia Prime Minister Kenny Anthony and
Ambassador Kramer dedicated two USG-provided facilities in
St. Lucia. With SOUTHCOM funding of USD 1.2 million, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and reservists had constructed a
combined barracks for St. Lucia Special Forces and Maritime
units at Vieux Fort. The facility is strategically located
at the southern tip of St. Lucia (also within the PM's home
constituency). The modern barracks position the newly
combined Special Forces and Maritime units to provide the
region's first line of defense against mainland South
American drug traffickers as neighbors Grenada and St.
Vincent and the Grenadines are unable to offer any
significant deterrent.

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HEADQUARTERS FOR DISASTER MANAGERS
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3. (SBU) SOUTHCOM also funded construction of a headquarters
building and warehouse for St. Lucia's National Emergency
Management Organization (NEMO) in Vigie, near the capital,
Castries. The dedication of the NEMO building at which the
Ambassador and PM Anthony officiated served primarily to
assemble and recognize the many community disaster relief
volunteers from around the island on whom the organization
depends. PM Anthony was in full campaign mode for both
dedication ceremonies; his remarks were flattering and
appreciative of U.S. contributions. Both events were fully
covered by local media.

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BILATERAL BLUES
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4. (U) PM Anthony hosted Ambassador Kramer at an informal
luncheon on August 3 between the dedication ceremonies for
the two U.S.-funded construction projects. The Prime
Minister's Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Director of NEMO, Dr.
James Fletcher, Minister of Tourism Phillip J. Pierre,
Embassy MLO Aboagye, and PAO O'Reagan were also present.


5. (C) As PM Anthony appeared to have no planned agenda for
the session, Ambassador Kramer made clear that the facilities
inaugurated that day were provided with the understanding
that St. Lucia would sign an Article 98 Agreement; it had not
yet done so. In order for the USG to be able to offer
emergency security assistance during the upcoming 2007
Cricket World Cup (CWC) events, it was also important for St.
Lucia to sign a Caribbean Regional Maritime Agreement (CRMA)
and renew its Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).


6. (C) The Ambassador also noted the recurring difficulty of
USG officials in reaching the PM and senior members of his
administration or in having calls returned. She explained
that this lack of responsiveness has delayed the Article 98
process and other security cooperation efforts.


7. (C) PM Anthony professed surprise that there had been any
delay in the Article 98 process, claimed ignorance of any
messages from American officials that had not been answered,
and generally directed responsibility for any difficulties in
the bilateral relationship to others. He sloughed off his
government's inaction on signing the Article 98 Agreement by
saying that he thought it "had been taken care of."

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"PRINCIPLED STANDS" VS. INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
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8. (C) Comfortably shifting back into his former professorial
role, PM Anthony lectured the American delegation on the
perils of globalization, providing a critique on the U.S.
role in global affairs. He disapprovingly discussed the USG
response to the recent Middle East hostilities and
subsequently explained CARICOM members' support of Venezuela
over Guatemala for the UN Security Council seat as the action
of small countries that were "vulnerable." (Comment:
Presumably to the danger of displeasing petroleum-rich
Venezuela. End Comment.) He made no reference to
banana-related resentment of Guatemala as he had in an
earlier exchange (Ref C).


9. (C) Ambassador Kramer challenged the PM's assertion that
the CARICOM countries were taking a "principled stand" on the
UNSC election or other international issues on which Anthony
held forth. She suggested that countries that wish to be
considered seriously in the international arena should
consider the long-term, global consequences of such
decisions. The Ambassador further recommended that the
CARICOM states could play a much greater role in world
affairs by contributing to international peacekeeping efforts
in Haiti, for example, or as part of the "coalition of the
willing" to provide security support for addressing conflicts
in other parts of the world.

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COMMENT
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10. (C) Despite the positive mood of the day's events, post
considers PM Anthony an unreliable partner whose commitment
to security responsibilities consists of self-congratulation
and cosmetic solutions such as replacing local police
commanders with British police officers (Ref A),without
insuring the logistical or political support the law
enforcement personnel need. Post's interagency Law
Enforcement Working Group believes that St. Lucia's security
forces are actually one of the better performing groups in
the eastern Caribbean. The forces' effectiveness could
benefit, however, from the replacement of several individuals
in leadership positions. The Prime Minister has not seen fit
to make those changes.


11. (C) As in the matter of the delayed Article 98 signature,
PM Anthony refuses to take responsibility for realizing
security commitments while declining to delegate or
relinquish the authority needed to meet them. In observing
his interaction with his own citizenry throughout the day,
Ambassador Kramer concluded that PM Anthony is not interested
in acting locally or leading globally; his sole focus seems
to be on maintaining his position rather than providing a
vision for St. Lucia's future.
KRAMER