(SLUTimes)Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has defended the ‘protecting the victory’ slogan, first adopted at a 2022 annual general meeting of his Castries East Constituency group.
The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has constantly criticised the PM and the ruling Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) over it.
But Pierre has rejected the criticism.
“I make no excuses for saying that we have to protect the victory. No excuses,” Pierre declared.
He spoke at the Castries East Constituency’s 35th Annual General Meeting last week.
Pierre explained that protecting the victory meant safeguarding the gains made by his administration.
He asserted that the opposition never believed that Saint Lucia and its economy would be where it is today, with unemployment at its lowest level in a long time.
“They never believed that civil servants would get their back pay,” Pierre said.
“I make no bones about it. We have to defend the victory,” the Castries East MP told his constituency event.
“That victory is for the people of Saint Lucia. That victory is for the young men and women from Morne du Don, from Bagatelle, from Arundel Hill, from Trou Rouge, who will be able to go to university because of the policy of one university per household, ” Pierre told his audience.
He also said the victory was for parents who cannot afford to pay CXC fees for their children.
Pierre recalled that his administration, which had paid for English and Maths, would pay for at least five CXC subjects for the children of Saint Lucia before the end of the school term.
“Protecting that victory is for the workers of Saint Lucia who very shortly will have a livable minimum wage to feed their children. That is what protecting that victory is about,” he declared.
He mentioned several other measures implemented by his administration.
And acknowledging that he would be vilified for it, he put a mission before the party faithful to ensure that the UWP, under current leader Allen Chastanet, never becomes the government of Saint Lucia.
“I make no bones about it,” Pierre stated. “We cannot take Saint Lucia back to where it was.”
