Santa Lucía: advierten sobre la gravedad de la crisis económica
St Lucia PM’s warning should be taken seriously, says LPM
After weeks of paying close attention to the irrational behaviour and responses of the government of Saint Lucia to the frightening level of unemployment in the country, coupled with a recent admission by Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony that some Caribbean nations were on the brink of economic collapse, the Lucian People’s Movement (LPM) has cautioned the citizens of Saint Lucia to take that warning very seriously.
The LPM is adamant that “Just because Dr Anthony did not mention Saint Lucia by name does not mean that the island isn’t on the list of nations in serious jeopardy of economic collapse.»
In fact, the LPM suggests, when one takes a closer look at the irresponsible pattern of behaviour of Caribbean leaders, it isn’t at all difficult to see how easily Anthony fits into the very same category he described.
A prime example, according to the LPM, is Anthony’s long-standing knowledge that the global economy was in trouble and had already begun its dangerous spiral towards the end of his tenure in 2006. Yet, as opposition leader, he willfully gave the people of Saint Lucia the impression that, if given another opportunity to lead the country, the Labour government under his stewardship would outperform all previous governments in the history of Saint Lucia with regard to the creation of sustainable jobs.
This, said the LPM, has not materialized.
“Therefore, it may be an opportune moment for Dr Anthony to finally admit to the people of Saint Lucia that he may have misled them,” the party said in a statement.
In referencing the prime minister’s speech that was delivered in Barbados recently, the LPM said it believes that this may have been a deliberate attempt by Anthony to deflect attention from his own fear that the Saint Lucian economy could collapse any day now under his watch.
“If you give the impression that you are doing a much better job than your compatriots in the Caribbean, and your people back home become psychologically adapted to accepting that they are indeed better off in spite of their severe economic challenges, then it becomes much easier to mitigate the political fallout that is bound to follow when our economy finally teeters on the brink of an economic collapse,” the LPM said.
The LPM added, “By seeking to make an early contrast between himself and other leaders in the Caribbean region, it may well be that Dr Anthony has succeeded in convincing himself that laying the blame squarely at the feet of others will absolve him completely of responsibility for any economic transgression.»
The LPM admonished the people of Saint Lucia to be on the lookout for the undeniable proof that Saint Lucia’s economy is in serious danger and that Anthony is no different from his peers.
“Every unnecessary consultant and ambassadorial appointment that is made, even while a vast number of Saint Lucians remain unemployed, should serve as proof of where we are headed as a nation. The VAT is another issue that should continue to worry not only the business community, but every single Saint Lucian who is unemployed but is forced to find that extra dollar,” the party said.
Moreover, as long as Anthony continues to resist calls to restructure the embassies and consulates abroad and save the country money, then Saint Lucia’s financial and economic demise isn’t far off, the LPM said.
“These and other very important developments — including our government’s heavy dependence on the benevolence of the government and people of Taiwan to keep Saint Lucia afloat financially, which appears to now be a monthly occurrence — are sufficient proof that the nation has either gone under or is teetering on the brink of an economic collapse,” the statement concluded.
