Dear Editor,
Yesterday, November 28, two sister Caricom states – Guyana and St Lucia – held general elections. It was indeed a historic moment for both countries. St Lucia and Guyana are bound by ancestral cords; there are a number of persons living in those two places who can trace their origins to the other. As early as the 1950s and ’60s hundreds of St Lucians poured into Guyana taking up residence on the Linden Highway and in the interior at Mahdia where many still reside. Thus were the beginnings of long-lasting friendships and a bond between neighbours established, something from which the regional body could well learn valuable lessons. When things got bad in Guyana many second generation Guy-lucians made the trek back to their homeland, while a sizeable remnant stayed the course.
Another notable similarity is in the area of politics; both countries have had parties called the People’s Progressive Party. It was Cheddi Jagan who formed the first mass political party called the PPP here in Guyana. In like manner, John Compton is credited with forming the United Workers Party (UWP) which came out of an amalgamation of the St Lucia Labour Party with the People’s Progressive party (PPP). The great contribution made by these two men in moulding their respective economies to what they are today, forever etches their achievement on the hearts and minds of all the citizens. These two gentlemen had a love for their country and had as their chief aim nation-building. The two leaders are now dead but their legacy still lives on. Even the opposition leader Kenny Anthony could not have avoided a Guyanese connection, having worked at the Caricom Secretariat in Guyana for a number of years, from where he left to contest the elections in St Lucia in 1997. Therefore, it is with a degree of pride and dignity that the two peoples conducted their polls on the same day.
Incidentally, the two parties holding office going into the elections can attest to political interference from external sources. The ignominy Guyana suffered at the hands of the United States revoking the visas of its Police Commissioner and Home Affairs Minister correlates with the recent revocation of the St Lucian Housing Minister’s visa. Both governments share bad experiences with the metropolis meddling in their domestic politics.
Last but by no means least November 28 will be a historic and memorable occasion for this writer because yours truly, cast his ballot here in St Lucia. It was my very first experience of this.
Yours faithfully,
Neil Adams
