ST LUCIA-POLITICS-PM to address nation on Tuesday night

 

CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC - Prime Minister Stephenson King is expected to announce plans for the future development of St. Lucia when he addresses the nation on Tuesday night.

 

Public Relations Officer Jeff Fedee said that King, who for the time being has survived efforts by disgruntled government legislators to replace him, will also speak about the resignation of his Economic Affairs and Planning Minister Ausbert D'Auvergne during the address scheduled for 8 p.m.

 

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Rufus Bousquet and the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Marcus Nicholas, had demanded the resignation of the minister who had been brought into the Cabinet by the late Sir John Compton when he successfully led the United Workers Party (UWP) into the last general elections.

 

Fedee said the Prime Minister would use the address to urge his Cabinet colleagues to get back on track regarding the development of the island and would not necessarily deal with the new portfolios.

 

But it is widely expected that Bousquet, who was fired by Sir John, will be brought back into the Cabinet.

 

Bousquet had abstained in the voting to support the national budget King had presented to the Parliament and, as he emerged from the weekend talks where the government had been able to quell the infighting, sought to put behind him the issues that had divided the Cabinet.

 

"The UWP supporters would never forgive us for that. All of those who expressed confidence in us and supported us in the last election would have never forgiven us and it could have potentially signalled the death of the UWP and I was not prepared to have that on my conscience," he said.

 

King said that the government was now looking forward to implementing projects that would benefit the entire country.

 

"We have lost at least three weeks of active work in the government which may have a multiplier effect, not just in terms of productivity but national loss; therefore members have all committed themselves to getting the work done and moving on with the ambitious projects of the government," he said.

 

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