Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BRIDGETOWN2236
2006-12-22 19:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bridgetown
Cable title:  

ST. LUCIAN ELECTIONS: THE WHO, THE HOW, AND THE

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM PINR ECON EAGR EPET SNAR ST 
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DE RUEHWN #2236/01 3561918
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P 221918Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 002236 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR ECON EAGR EPET SNAR ST
VE, CU, XL
SUBJECT: ST. LUCIAN ELECTIONS: THE WHO, THE HOW, AND THE
WHAT'S NEXT

REF: BRIDGETOWN 2180

Classified By: DCM Mary Ellen T. Gilroy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 002236

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR ECON EAGR EPET SNAR ST
VE, CU, XL
SUBJECT: ST. LUCIAN ELECTIONS: THE WHO, THE HOW, AND THE
WHAT'S NEXT

REF: BRIDGETOWN 2180

Classified By: DCM Mary Ellen T. Gilroy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Sir John Compton was sworn in as Prime
Minister of St. Lucia on December 15 after his United Workers
Party (UWP) defeated the ruling St. Lucia Labor Party (SLP)
in December 11 elections. Leonard "Spider" Montoute has
been selected to become Deputy PM. Reasons for opposition
UWP victory include mismanagement and cost overruns in
government projects and an unexpected increase in the numbers
of voters turning out to support change in the form of the
opposition. PM Compton's cabinet, to be officially announced
and sworn in on December 19, will likely feature several
inexperienced, first-time public servants. UWP priorities
include campaign finance reform, revising the new labor code,
and revitalizing agriculture. It also seems likely that UWP
will distance itself from PetroCaribe and other Venezuelan
initiatives. END SUMMARY.

THE PLAYERS: A SPIDER AND SOME NEWCOMERS
--------------


2. (SBU) On December 15, veteran politician Sir John Compton
was sworn in as Prime Minister of St. Lucia following the
official ballot count and certification of results. Leonard
"Spider" Montoute was given the role of Deputy Prime
Minister. Montoute is a former athlete, educator, and
community servant who has emerged as an astute politician.
In his first attempt at running for office in 2001, Montoute
only lost by 273 votes against then Deputy PM Mario Michel.
In the December 11 election, he convincingly defeated former
UN Ambassador Julian Hunte by 1,024 votes. During the 2006
campaign, Montoute served as deputy UWP leader, becoming

Compton's right-hand man. He studied both in Germany and the
United States, earning a degree in Sports Medicine at New
Jersey's Kean University.


3. (SBU) The new cabinet is scheduled to be sworn in on
December 19, and current projections show only two previous
cabinet members and four previous members of parliament.
Although changes may occur in the interim, current plans are
for PM Compton to handle the Finance and Physical Planning
portfolios, Rufus Bousquet to become either Foreign Minister
or Tourism Minister, and Keith Mondesir to assume the job of
Minister of National Security and Home Affairs. An Attorney
General is still to be determined. Post will report the
final cabinet appointments after they are made official.


4. (C) Although Central Castries victor Richard Frederick was
not appointed Deputy PM as many expected, he is currently
slated to take the position of Minister of Housing, Urban
Renewal, and Local Governance. More on Frederick's
background and intra-party manuevering will be reported
septel.

THE VICTORY: HOW UWP WON
--------------


5. (U) A narrow ruling party victory with a stronger
opposition had been the general prediction by observers,
political scientists, and the general public going into the
elections. The St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) was favored in
three reputable polls, two by Jamaica's Bill Johnson and one
by Barbados-based Peter Wickham (reftel). It was also
estimated that the SLP spent two times as much on advertising
as the UWP did. After the UWP upset, many commented that
the UWP won because the SLP shot itself in the foot.


6. (C) Montoute summarized for PolOff the reasons for the UWP
victory. According to Deputy PM-select, the SLP government
got arrogant, mismanaging a number of projects and then not
explaining its actions to satisfaction of the public. As an
example, Montoute cited the manager of the National
Conservation Authority (NCA) who used NCA-paid workers to
staff his private restaurants. He also pointed to the many
cost overruns in public projects, such as various road
construction projects in preparation for Cricket World Cup.
In addition to mismanagement and cost overruns, Montoute
claimed that the voters were tired of the deteriorating
security situation in St. Lucia and the increasingly unequal
distribution of wealth. Montoute's comments parallel the
general sentiment of voters with whom PolOff spoke.


7. (U) Another important factor in the opposition victory was
the increased number of voters who came out to support the
UWP. The SLP not only retained its votes from the 2001
election, but actually gained votes: 34,142 votes in 2001
and 35,830 votes in 2006. However, the UWP garnered a
walloping 15,000 more votes in 2006: from 23,095 votes in
2001 to 38,212 in 2006. This same dynamic was reflected in
individual races. For example, popular SLP minister Felix
Finisterre received 2,333 votes in 2001 and 2,510 in 2006,
but lost his seat because the turnout of opposition voters
gave his opponent even more votes. Journalist Rick Wayne
reflected on television that many voters intended to vote UWP
to strengthen the opposition, but so many did so that the
opposition triumphed.


8. (U) Other factors working against the SLP campaign include
the laying off of over 100 employees at the Sandals resort in
November and the ensuing protest at Sandals' gates, two
murders less than a week before the election, and an increase
in traffic congestion due to road construction the week prior
to the election. Also, Wickham observed in an interview that
publishing Johnson's poll results two days before the
election actually hurt the SLP by making party supporters
complacent about what seemed to be an impending victory.

THE PLAN: FIRST UNDERTAKINGS OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT
-------------- --------------


9. (C) Prior to and immediately following the elections, PM
Compton made it clear that he will make campaign finance
reform one of his first priorities. In a private
conversation, Montoute informed PolOff that, on December 14,
PM Compton again raised this plan in a party meeting, stating
that he was happy that former PM Kenny Anthony had accused
the UWP campaign of accepting drug money because he can now
point to opposition members and say they have to support the
reform legislation because of their dissatisfaction with the
campaign's funding.


10. (C) Montoute also confirmed that two items of the former
government's unfinished business will likely be reversed.
First, according to Montoute, Compton has already declared
that the new Labour Code, which was passed on November 13 but
has yet to be promulgated, will "go back to the drafters" for
revisions. Second, when asked about Petrocaribe, which St.
Lucia has not yet officially signed, Montoute predicted that
St. Lucia "will not be part of Chavez's game." Montoute
characterized Hugo Chavez as the next Fidel Castro, noting
that St. Lucia "is not interested in Chavez's personal ego,
but only interested in its national development."


11. (U) Future priorities for the new UWP government also
include decreasing crime by increasing youth training
programs and introducing wider agricultural diversification.
Revitalizing the agricultural sector is one of the chief
priorities for the government.

COMMENT: THINGS NOT AS EASY AS THEY SEEM
--------------


12. (SBU) Although the clear-cut opposition victory surprised
many St. Lucians as well as outside observers, in many
respects the new government still faces an uphill battle.
For example, the 11-6 win came with only 51.6 per cent of the
popular vote. Also, the UWP is bringing in a relatively
inexperienced team to enact and implement its policies. Of
the 11 parliamentary victors, five have never held public
office (Montoute, Estephane, Ezekial Joseph, Guy Joseph, and
Mondesir),and three (Estephane, E.Joseph, and G.Joseph) were
contesting an election for the first time.


13. (C) In terms of foreign policy, the new government's
aversion to pro-Cuba and pro-Venezuela policies typical of
Eastern Caribbean governments will prove a welcome change.
However, the new St. Lucia government presents a potential
headache to the United States as well: the ambitious and
popular attorney Richard Frederick, a prominent newcomer
thought to have ties to drug traffickers and other criminal
elements, reportedly financed many of his UWP colleagues
campaigns. Post will report on the installation of the UWP
cabinet and Frederick's new role septel.
OURISMAN