(C) ST. LUCIA PM COMPTON HOLDS HIS CARDS CLOSE BUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000195 SIPDIS SIPDIS SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/05/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR MARR SNAR ASEC EAID ST XL SUBJECT: (C) ST. LUCIA PM COMPTON HOLDS HIS CARDS CLOSE BUT CLAIMS TO REIN IN CONTROVERSIAL MINISTER'S AMBITIONS REF: A. BRIDGETOWN 49 ¶B. 06 BRIDGETOWN 2180 Classified By: DCM Mary Ellen T. Gilroy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On February 2, Deputy Chief of Mission Gilroy called on Government of St. Lucia (GOSL) Prime Minister Sir John Compton to congratulate him on his return to power and to review the bilateral relationship. She also raised USG concerns about charismatic cabinet member Richard Frederick's close ties to narco-traffickers. Sir John pledged his government's cooperation on security matters, including measures to address crime against American citizens, and assured DCM he had contained Minister Frederick's ambitions to control a security-related portfolio or attain leadership of the ruling party. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Sir John Compton, who surprised observers by returning to office as Prime Minister for a seventh term in December (ref B),received DCM Gilroy in St. Lucia on February 2. This was the first time PM Compton had met with a USG official since his return to power. Compton listened attentively, took careful notes, but spoke very little during the 45-minute, one-on-one meeting. Reviewing Bilateral Business -------------- ¶3. (C) The DCM began the meeting by congratulating PM Compton on his return to government. She also briefly outlined areas of bilateral and regional assistance, particularly USG support for Cricket World Cup, and then expressed the hope that relations between the United States and St. Lucia would improve under his administration. Futhermore, the DCM raised four outstanding issues which remained unresolved in spite of repeated efforts by the USG: renewal of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA); a written response to the offer of a State Partnership Program (SPP) between the National Guards of Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Regional Security System (RSS); an Article 98 agreement; and promulgation of the 1987 Tax Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA) by publication in the official gazette. PM Compton accepted copies of diplomatic notes on the SOFA and Article 98. He made careful handwritten notes on all four issues but asked almost nothing about them. ¶4. (C) PM Compton became most animated when the DCM raised USG concerns about Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal, and Local Government Richard Frederick (ref A),a dynamic political newcomer whose deep pockets appear to be lined with narco-dollars. The DCM explained that the USG had no evidence which it could share or any information leading to an indictment; however, it was important that these concerns be shared early in the Compton administration to avoid surprises later. Sir John acknowledged that he had known of the rumors for "quite some time." Frederick had challenged the government of then-PM Kenny Anthony to bring proof or charge him, but it had not done so. Compton went on to say that Frederick sought United Workers Party (UWP) endorsement during the March 2006 by-election for the Castries Central seat, but Compton decided to wait to see how Frederick fared as an independent candidate. Running on the UWP slate in the December 2006 parliamentary elections, Frederick handily won re-election to the capital city seat, emerging as a powerhouse in the PM's party. Widely regarded in the region as a wily political operator, PM Compton has since taken steps to contain Frederick's burgeoning ambitions. Noting that Frederick hoped to gain a cabinet portfolio dealing with internal security or communication, Compton acknowledged that he personally blocked Frederick's appointment to positions in which he would have access to information about air and sea ports, citing Frederick's "strong support in the ghetto." Instead, Compton put him in charge of housing where he could help his base. Sir John assured the DCM that he has taken steps to ensure Frederick would never take a leadership role in the UWP, but he declined to specify what those steps were. ¶5. (C) PM Compton then shifted to talk about crime in general. He was unaware of the Embassy's demarches for information on crimes against American citizens but promised his government's cooperation. He also welcomed future USG training of St. Lucia's police and specialized units. Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) Sir John was extremely guarded throughout the meeting. He raised only one issue, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, but did not press it, saying he understood why the USG acted to require that all AmCits travel with passports. It was interesting that he did not inquire about U.S. assistance to St. Lucia nor did he say a word about reviving the banana industry (one of his campaign promises). The only theme about which PM Compton became animated was his control over Frederick's rise to power. It seems that his purpose was to prove to the USG that he holds the reins on this mercurial figure. OURISMAN