THE CHRISTMAS STORY (2014): ROPE CONVENTION

Imagine three Christmas seasons have elapsed since Santa spoke to the Boss and the indomitable campaign team that romped electoral victory home to him! Remember! The team's star-girl who was also Chairperson of Santa’s cabinet was Lady Bithiah whose spirit graciously heralded the campaign from beginning to end. She was “the lady at the wheel” who tirelessly and proudly drove the mighty Santa to every nook and cranny of the kingdom and did so for absolutely no reward. Not only was she the "iron lady" at the wheel; she was invariably the impetus and energy for the campaign.

Three-plus years have now elapsed; and we are now into the fourth year of his term. Strangely, when everyone thought that Santa was packing his bag and was on his way out, suddenly and out of the blue, he is showing renewed interest in another term.

There are many speculations for Santa's rationale to want to throw his hat in the ring again. One dominant school of thought is that the Flambeaus are facing much difficulty in identifying a strong, viable candidate. Another school of thought is Santa was hoping that either Choiseul or Gros Islet would be sub-divided; and he was therefore contemplating on running in Choiseul-East or Gros Islet-North. But that didn't materialise and so he has to return to his kingdom. 

Santa never "mastered" the kingdom; he never had an intimacy with his subjects and he never explored without his protective entourage. A recent windscreen survey suggests that he is now even further away from his subjects than he was 4 years ago. However, Santa is pretty smart. He might not be intimate with the kingdom but he is pretty much aware of the calculus which delivered victory to him in the last election. Hence, he is now determined at all costs to conjure up a miracle to recruit the scattered sheep. 

His number one target understandably is his former campaign Boss who last met personally since  December 2011. He must by the hook or by the crook win him over; he has promised the PM with a high level of certainty that he would be successful in this endeavour!  So, it is not strange that he is now crouching in all forms of undignified postures to “rope” in the Boss into his camp again! 

Earlier, the ChoiseulPowerhouse reported that Santa had dispatched his special envoy (Adam) for the kingdom to pave the way for a rapprochement. Rumors are rife that part of the strategy is, he plans to recite even the most difficult “Act of Contrition” to “rope in” all the renegades, deserters and saboteurs back into the camp, irrespective of costs and implications; but apparently, the road to "ROPE" is not easy. 

Earlier, the "758 Blog" disclosed that Santa had broached a fruitless attempt to re-ignite the “campaign relationship” with the Boss by sending a Facebook friendship request to him. “758” also disclosed that Santa had also been using the services of SLP’s self-appointed “Facebook ambassador-at-large” (on SLAP) to help “defrost” the “subzero” relationship with Boss. However, unconfirmed subsequent reports suggest that the Boss is impenetrable and in-displaceable. Hence, the likelihood of a potential reconciliation still remains at “Zero Kelvin” with no apparent movement in sight.

What initially seemed like a simple issue to Santa and his top-heavy body of advisors is now turning to be a complex, almost impossible calculus problem.

The “PowerHouse” has since learnt that Adam has submitted his preliminary report on his initial meeting with the Boss to a protective belt of consultants and the consensus among them is the prospects look remote but might not impossible. Although the report has not been released to the Kingdom, sources close to Santa have leaked that his major headache remains the fact that the Boss continues to tenaciously hold on to the “Souccouyan” perspective and he continues to spitefully and irrationally market it in ruthless ways all over the kingdom. The strategy among Santa’s consultants is (therefore) to contain and control the probability of a potentially deadlocked public skirmish with the Boss that may result in ripple effects that may have deadly electoral consequences.

Santa is fully aware of the propensities of the Boss for skirmish/warfare and the resultant devastating consequences for his re-election campaign.

Santa has confessed to his close confidantes that the little fires on the kingdom’s “17 ridges” which started with the Boss' allegations of Souccouyan representation may now have blossomed into emerging boiling cauldrons, and he fears their eventual development into a potentially major volcano. Santa’s major strategy has therefore been to debunk the Souccouyan myth which the Boss has so skillfully been woven into his popular Souccouyan paradigm. Indeed - with the institution of a movement called ROPE (a pseudonym for “Representing Ourselves Par Excellence”) - the Boss has taken the Souccouyan idea to the extreme, roping in some of the most formidable intellectuals in the kingdom and diaspora.

While Santa's agenda is total reconciliation with his kingdom, the BOSS has other ideas. He has convened the “ROPE CONVENTION” where he plans to dégajé Santa for once and for all.

The venue for the convention was his own home in Valois, Choiseul and the date was Christmas day 2014.

Present were all executive members of ROPE, dignitaries and invited guests such the MOSES, LADELIN EMPEROR, SAUL, LORD BOBOL, DREAD I FRED, LADY BITHIAH and three former parliamentary reps who are honorary members of ROPE!

Contrary to popular beliefs in the kingdom, ROPE has no links to the free mason society.

By decree, every member and participant was due to attend the meeting with a piece of "holy" rope which was regarded as a valid membership licence.

The meeting was called to order at 10 am; after prayers and the ROPE anthem, the business of day got on the way.

The Boss started with a brief history of ROPE and an exposition on the heuristics of Souccouyan representation theory. He was about halfway in his presentation when Adam angrily interrupted:

ADAM: Fellahs, stop calling Santa a Souccouyan! You all claimed to be respectful and educated with PhD’s . . . and all you do is to throw low blows! Just remember that Santa is also a criminal attorney and it’s a matter of time before he unleashes his fury on you in a court of law!

DREAD I FRED: Is that representation we getting? Action against his own subjects in a court of law?

SAUL: If you don't want us to call him "Souccouyan", then you must tell him to stop treating us like Caribs and Arawaks. Massa days done!

LADY EVE: But you all behave like damn Caribs and Arawaks! Adam is damn right! If push come to shove . . . and we must hauled you before a court of law, then that's exactly we will do! Bruce scared the hell out of you all when he threatened to sue;  but we don't threaten! We deliver! We have to put an end to that foolish crusade that you have embarked on! Don't you realise that Santa holds the prestigious position of Czar for the Tourism kingdom? Don't you recognise the damage that you all do to his reputation when you hurl insults at him? Those petty  jealous taunts must stop now!  Santa had good reason to fire the whole damn bunch to bring in new blood.  He was right to fire Boss, Moses, Bithiah, de Wiseman from the East and to marginalise the PhD blokes (like Dread I Fred and Lord Bobol). You think Santa stupid? Santa will work only with subjects he can manipulate; he wants the bright fellahs who will “jump” when he says “jump”; fellahs who will keep quiet when he says “shut up”! Fellahs who will make it easy for him to implement the mandate of the Kingdom and help him bring Xmas gifts to all. Fellahs like Adam and Steve. 

The Boss banged his gavel and called the meeting to order! Adam and Eve cried foul over de Boss iron-fisted approach to the coduct of the meeting. They refused to comply and staged a walk-out.

At that point the LADELIN Emperor stood up to compliment the Boss for his strong decisive action and the meeting resumed!

LADELIN EMPEROR: Boss, at this point, I beg to move a motion that either the POWERHOUSE or CHOISEUL-ON-THE-MOVE publish for all to see the cowardly action of Adam and Eve at the ROPE convention - an action which was apparently designed to mash up the only true “grassroot forum” ever held in this kingdom.  

BOSS: The question is: We publish the disgraceful conduct of Santa's men for the Cyberworld to see. All in favour raise the ROPE!

The decision was unanimous and the meeting continued!

LADELIN EMPEROR: Boss, for the record, I must point out to members the magnitude of ROPE’s contribution to the development of the kingdom. Were it not for ROPE’s advocacy, the people of Monrouge[j1] , MORNE Zion etc would be languishing in water problems! Also Boss . . . the people of Fiette would have no road. De people of Daban would be cut out from civilization. Even Park Estate (the poorest community in our midst) has benefited. Those projects materialized at the time when Souccouyan representation was at its peak. So, let Adam, Steve and Eve rant. Let Lord Kelvin crunch his numbers. It's all about ROPE. Let them feel the full might of ROPE. They are beginning to feel the pressure and beginning to feel guilty too! They must pay for the cardinal sins they have committed against the kingdom. ROPE! ROPE! ROPE!

A thunderous applause followed, and the LADELIN EMPEROR apparently bouyed by the applause continued with his voice near crescendo level:

LADELIN EMPEROR (continuing): Last Xmas, Santa didn’t even come and see us, blaming everything on the Xmas trough! A ton of my people from LADELIN was trapped like refugees on the other side of the Piaye Bridge; and Santa didn’t give a damn about them! During Tomas, Bruce hired a helicopter to drop by; and post-Thomas, he spent all his time with us in the kingdom caring for us! Can’t we see that Santa’s heart is not with the poor people of the kingdom? Neither Kenny nor Pip owns jet planes but they both easily found their way to Piaye the day after the trough and caused a Bailey bridge to be built in record time! Where was Souccouyan Santa? 

SAUL: (apparently pumped up): Did you expect Santa to do anything? Did you expect the Millionaire Prince of Tourism to have anything to do with "de poor" in my community? Do you expect a prince with billionaire parents; a prince who own a fleet of airplanes; a man who sports the most lavish SUV ever invented to have any empathy for the poor? Since Santa’s Kingdom come, Roblot has been begging Santa to do something about the Community Centre and library but not one little “Tiwe …”

BOSS: (Swiftly Interrupting) Saul, we do not wish to bring the kingdom’s Convention into disrepute; Saul, I must caution you that you must use only honorable language when you speak. I will not allow you to continue.

SAUL: I withdraw the comment. But Boss, my point is: things have gone so bad in the kingdom that I had to convert my Entertainment Centre into a Tabernacle! The subjects have no money to buy Piton anymore!

LADELIN EMPEROR: All you excoriated Ti Chass for being a prodigal minister for Tourism; but none of you talking about the rich and famous lifestyle of the Tourism Prince who can’t even deliver a Christmas gift to the poor; and you all had the heart to make him our Santa? Nowhere else in the world is that possible! He is right to treat us like troglodytes, like Caribs and Arawaks! Anyway, you get what you deserve! How can a kingdom in the doldrums of poverty identify with that type of Santa?

At that point, the door flung open and in come Adam, Eve, Steve and their entourage.

ADAM: Boss! I’m sorry for my earlier dishonorable behavior! I’m sorry that I lost my cool. Santa has asked me to return to the convention and to remain here until his arrival which should be shortly!  Boss . .  Let’s be honest with ourselves: Santa has been Helen’s most efficient Tourism Czar since Tourism was invented down here! He remains successful even when his gov’t is failing! I want this convention to understand that Santa serves the two largest kingdoms under the sun! But I’m sure you will agree that the tourism kingdom is much larger and more critical; and, hence, it deserves far greater attention; it is the kingdom that brings in the money! So while honourable Santa flies looking for the tourist dollar, I man Adam from the Old Fort (supported by Steve)  hold the fort in kingdom by default. Isn't that an ideal formula for representation? De hotels have Santa for his efficiency and productivity and have embraced him wholeheartedly.  Why shouldn’t we? In fact, the Tourist Kingdom has bestowed the Industry’s highest award upon him. They have made him “VIP extraordinaire” for the duration of his tenure! Even Ti Chass love him and have recommended that this “ex gratia” award be conferred on him for life. If you were Santa, wouldn’t you have sang even louder for your supper?”

SAUL: (rather flippantly) No wonder he is so eager to win again. Why doesn't he run in the next kingdom? If they love him so much, then why don’t the hotel Kingdom elect him? But I wonder if the Tourist kingdom know about his performance in his own kingdom, what would they do? And if they did, would they even entrust him to be their water boy? They would probably have other ideas!

EVE: We have to give Santa his jacket, too! Last year was a difficult Xmas for him. He was extremely busy looking after the Tourist kingdom and it was impossible to attend to Choiseul/Saltibus. How do we expect Santa to come down when de trough blew away the Piaye Bridge? Adam was always on the ground, ably assisted by Lord Kevin! In fact, Adam and me in the West and Lord Kelvin and Steve in the Far East!

SAUL: Give Santa his Jacket? Santa wears a jacket a day! Doesn’t he have enough? Santa has a wardrobe filled with suits and Jackets! He does not deserve anymore! We are the ones in need of the jackets!

 Suddenly, there was silence! The door flung open and in came Santa. Immediately and without observing the convention standing orders, he started swinging at the Boss with unimaginable fury. Initially, the Boss thought of checkmating him; but he didn't. He extended to him unencumbered largesse. The head table and floor looked frozen with unease. But the BOSS remained cool. 

SANTA: (Shouting) You see you Boss . . . you are the mastermind all of this! You claimed to have a PhD but you refuse to put it to good use! Look how “His Excellency” Dread, the most Honorable His Heir, is the High Commissioner for the Kingdom! Dread, the Hon Vaughan is the platform on which our Foreign Minister sits! Dread Jimmy is Science and Technology Czar! But look at you (Dread) sitting on your fat laurels and spinning a fantasy world around you, built on an imaginary (Cyber) House (which you call a PowerHouse) of which you have appointed yourself as the Dread (Cyber)Boss. You claim you have verified competencies, so much creativity and imagination and that’s all you do with them! You will forever remain a country bookie and a good-for-nothing! You can stay where you are forever and continue spreading false and foolish propaganda about me. I'm the real Boss! And like it or not . . . I'm going to win the next elections. For you information, ti Chass still loves me and he has handed me Choiseul/Saltibus on a platter. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

A tidal wave of silence mixed with petulance swept the Convention Floor! The LADELIN MONARCH and SAUL surreptitiously exchanged glances. How could a small man unleash so much fury?

SANTA (apparently impervious to the anti-mood of the moment continued): You can hide behind the scenes and on FB and call me Souccouyan till doomsday! The Kingdom prefers to be represented by a “Souccouyan” than a “Moomoo” project! In fact, you should be praising me for the quality leadership that I offer! I am the fulcrum on which the economy turns. I run a billion dollar industry and that to me is more important than anything else. I put my country first: Country before self! Country before you! And country before constituency!


SAUL: (Whispering to the LADELIN EMPEROR) Is this man is a billionaire terrorist . . .?

He mustered some courage and then tried to stand up on a point of order.

SAUL: Santa . . . 

SANTA: Saul! Don't interrupt me! Let me continue! I do not care much about the narrow interest of this insignificant and dying kingdom. I represent the whole economy – not a small, insignificant kingdom made primarily of bush! It is only a small piece of a whole! I focus on the whole, not the parts; and when the whole benefits, the parts automatically also do. I bring thousands of tourists here every year and this keeps the economy going and growing. If I fail, then the whole economy fails. Not even the PM can touch me. I do better than him.

SAUL: Santa, are you suggesting that you bigger than the PM . . . even before your foot touch the ground as the MP for the kingdom? 

SANTA (Glancing furiously at SAUL):  Is this any of your business, SAUL? I want everyone on this convention floor to get the facts straight. I don't claim to be PM; but let me make it clear that an MP of my calibre is also a 'kind of version" of a PM. Indeed, I am PM for the two constituencies I represent! You have to understand that I must balance my time in proportion to the dollar value of the two kingdoms.  Hence, the reason why you are likely to see me once or twice year; and also, hence the reason why certain places and people have never seen me and may never see me until elections are due.

LADELIN EMPEROR: Santa! Does this also explain why the LADELIN communities have never seen you? And does this also explain why you never went to see the Boss, Moses, Bithiah, de Wiseman from the East, Lord Bobol and the rest? Does that also explain why you fired Lady Bithiah?

BITHIAH: I can speak for myself! I don't wish anyone to put my tongue in their mouths!

SANTA:  As St. Lucia’s most honored and successful Minister, I have not only saved the Tourist Kingdom from collapse; I have also brought in billions to the country. Out of that, nearly 30 million have been spent in my Kingdom. I have not only done in two years what Ti Chaste could not do in five years, I have done a lot more! I have reversed the "receiverships" in the kingdom that happened under his tenure. The Le Paradis Kingdom has been bought over by new investors. But you ROPE fellahs have seen nothing yet! If I were the Minister for the Dayer Mall, that too would have been sold a long time. I know the calculus for success. If that to you is Souccouyan, then hail the Souccouyan!  When this Souccouyan fly in the sky, I fly for the good of my country! I am happy to be seeing my country looking good from up there! I don’t care if my kingdom constituency doesn’t see me. 

Unknown to him, Santa had apparently walked into the ROPE trap! A strange metamorphosis was taking place on the convention floor. As Santa's rage reached crescendo levels, he began to lost his power of speech and centre of gravity. Suddenly, he was prostrate and then he toppled on the convention floor. His typically youthful countenance which defined his "handsomeness" suddenly changed. Adam unaware of the plan, rushed to his rescue. When the metamorphosis completed, he regained his equilibrium.

He looked up to the Boss.

SANTA: BOSS, You have trapped me! I need to you see in chambers at the earliest convenience!

With those last words, Santa disappeared!

SAUL (Whispering to the LADELIN EMPEROR): De Boss ain't easy for true. De man completely dégajé Santa.

LADELIN EMPEROR: Did we have a choice? The kingdom does not tolerate Soccouyans! 

BITHIAH: Santa was mortal! He was just a damn boaster! 

SAUL: All boasters are fools! How could he have claimed to be a success story "up there" and he was such a dismal failure "down here" in the kingdom? Why didn't his performance turn the economy around? 

BOSS: We are now coming towards the end of Convention. We will now invite LORD BOBOL to make his presentation in calypso.

LORD BOBOL: 

“With elections around de corner

Here comes Souccouyan Santa

With his gang of missionary fellahs

To rub our foot with butter

But this time around, it’s over . . .

Neither Adam nor Eve has the power

To stop de “kabwiya” . . . De kabwiya . . . De Kabwiya . . . .

When we had problems with water

Where was de Souccouyan?

When we're dying of hunger . . . No pen in our penyen

Now we see de sun . . . . Bring in de  . . . De Kabwiya . . . De Kabwiya

Let’s Kabwiya de Souccouyan . . .

BOSS: Lord Bobol, I have to interrupt you! I want you to get one thing straight: ROPE is an institution, not an inquisition! I will never support any form of Souccouyan representation where a Santa representing us spends more time in the air than on the ground; but ROPE is not to hang! ROPE is to pull up our people from the doldrums of injustice and poverty and elevate and enlighten them! ROPE is to gird the loins of the poor, the oppressed, the meek and humble and to inspire HOPE!

BITHIAH: HOPE? HOPE . . . MY TOE! How does HOPE come into that? Damn with HOPE! This is a ROPE - not HOPE – CONVENTION. I worked for months for Santa and my reward was the rope. He put the Kabwiya around my neck and then hung me upside down! He didn't give me any hope. Why should I give him HOPE? All I got was rope, rope and more rope! But God is great! I now hold the end of the ROPE. I want to let him know that I am now standing at the gates of hell holding ROPE in my hand; He may still be able to fly but he can never hide. When the time comes, Mama Bithiah will be waiting at the gates of hell to give Mr Santa the most appropriate farewell with the ROPE. Praise God. Alleluia! Amen!

MOSES: Santa got the treatment he deserved; he has paid for his greed. I remember during de campaign he held tightly to all campaign monies! Never trusted his campaign team to manage the campaign finances. That should have told us something. If he didn't trust respectable team members who invested time, money and resources, then did we ever think he would ever have any confidence in them? It's no wonder he has done what he did!  Better a "Moomoo Project" to represent us than him. Let's leave the rest to God!

BITHIAH: Did Moses say "leave him for God"? 

LADELIN EMPEROR: We can't leave him for God! ROPE before God!

DREAD I FRED: For the last a couple of elections, I sat on the fence. When I saw Taddy and the Daban crew came out in full force, I thought there was something really good about Santa. So I took charge of the Saltibus Ridge. I joined with my Ground zero crew and together, we created a near earthquake which almost overturned Saltibus; but I must admit that getting involved in the 2011 election was my life’s greatest regret. Never before have the ancestral home of my PM seen greater neglect. I thank ROPE for a job well done!

ADAM: Boss, You don't have to take these bright fellahs who hardly visit the East! Saltibus (from Daban to Park Estate and Guyabois) are being well-looked after! Work on the Daban Road is ongoing; major rehabilitation works will soon begin on the Saltibus main road; in addition, the PM has commissioned road works on the Guyabois/O’Park Road starting all the way from Tete Morne. Indeed, as we speak, a 4 million drainage project is ongoing. That project was conceived by the Mighty Santa!

DREAD I FRED: Shut up Adam! You are a political reject! Why won’t allow Santa to represent the kingdom? I don’t want no twin-headed Souccouyan to represent me. If he knew that he couldn’t do the job, then he should have stayed out of the kitchen.

ADAM: OK . . . Dread I Fred! Isn’t ROPE a multi-headed monster designed to neutralise SANTA? Look at how many Flambeaus you have in ROPE!

BOSS: ROPE is not a multi-headed monster! It is a multi-sectorial, multidisciplinary entity, non-partisan entity. Everybody is entitled to support and advocate for his political party but not within ROPE! ROPE may not be neutral; but it is nonaligned.

At the point, I would like someone to move for the adjournment of the opening session of the Convention. We will go into recession and resume business during the Easter break when everyone will available again.

---

 [j1]Mongouge

SHOULD KENNY "DROP A BOMB" TONIGHT?

As Kenny prepares to address the nation tonight, let's try and second-guess what he is likely to say without necessarily stealing his thunder.

Will it be a "State of the Nation" address? Or will it be a general update/review of the post-trough recovery efforts and the challenges we face in that regard going forward, especially in the context of the severe economic constraints?

Because the “post-trough” recovery has serious “economic” implications and the two are so intricately intertwined, we would generally expect the PM to speak of “one” in terms of “the other”.

Hence, we look forward to a definitive policy statement and specific measures on the "post-trough" way forward. Who knows . . . perhaps, despite serious fiscal constraints, the PM may even announce his intention to extend the construction stimulus package, among other things, to allow St. Lucians to a further opportunity to retrofit their homes to make them more disaster-resistant. That may well be an excellent strategy for employment-generation as well as economic growth.

We look forward to the PM to give us a sneak preview of the current social and economic indicators that are likely to continue to inform his post-trough decisions. In that regard, we expect at least a broad-policy statement on crime and its impact on not just our economy but also our image as a proud country.

Patriotic St. Lucians (at home and in the diaspora) are very concerned about the increasingly inexplicable and senseless criminal behavior patterns which are apparently taking a heavy toll on our image as a peace-loving nation with a world record for the ratio of Nobel laureate per square metre.

I expect our PM to make a definitive statement designed to allay our fears by indicating proactive policy measures to specifically address the spiraling criminal activity. I also expect him to allude to the Pratt homicide and the potentially disastrous ramifications to our tourist industry.

If the PM’s speech is a “State-of-the Nation” address, I expect him to give us a snapshot - if not a mirror - of the fiscal, economic and social policies that are likely to underpin his 2014/15 budget.

Despite the obvious national sympathies for the erstwhile Leader of the Opposition, I don't expect the PM to “drop a bomb” on the badly wounded UWP. He won’t get marks for that.  I'm sure he would want to reserve any pronouncements in that regard for another forum.

If anything tonight, his focus should be on his desire to invent a "bomb" to drop on crime and other social economic problems facing St. Lucia. Now that he has had a good look at the demonstrated competencies of his cabinet, it is perhaps a good time to design that bomb around a major "Cabinet Reshuffle"!

AN "UNCONSTITUTIONAL CONSTITUTION" VS AN "UNCONSTITUTIONAL LEADER": THE ROYAL SKIRMISH BETWEEN THE KING AND QUEEN OF THE UWP

A TENSE RELATIONSHIP?

In a street discussion on the debacle facing the UWP, it was remarked that Chastanet may not only be politically juvenile, he may equally be politically “androgynous”! Is it his desperation in the pursuit of prime ministership that brings out those seeming idiosyncrasies in him? Someone should advise him that in politics, ego integrity is a far greater asset than desperation, for the latter generate perceptions that can easily relegate a politician to the dustbins of failure.

THE BETTER DAYS

If I heard it right from Mr Chastanet, then the constitution of the UWP is not in sync with the constitution of St. Lucia. I have not read the UWP constitution, but I hoping if this is the case, then this anomaly is resolved (or at least rationalised) by the Emergency National Council meeting scheduled for on Sunday (January 19). To me, the resolution is quite simple: make the UWP constitution conform to the constitution of the land it seeks to govern. If this (or its equivalent) happens at Sunday’s Coco Resort meeting in Vieux Fort, then the UWP can give itself a pat on the back for laying a platform for unity. Irrespective of how tottering a temporary "truce" may appear to be, it may buy time for the UWP and temporarily stop the current public hemorrhaging. If the emergency National Council Meeting fails to achieve that result, then the dichotomy may well deepen and generate potentially more fatal ripple effects, bitterness and disorder within the party.

It goes without saying that the constitution is the supreme law of the land and everything must either fall in line or is secondary to it. In situations where there is a conflict between it and secondary constitutions, then it is logical that the former should take precedence over the latter.

But again, Chastanet was not sufficiently proactive. When he went up for the leadership of the party, he should have understand that the dichotomy between the two constitutions was a source of potential conflict; and when the conflict became manifest he naively invoked a controversial clause in the UWP constitution to hang King. He could have been far more magnanimous and diplomatic.

It’s simply a case of country vs party. The opposition leader went to represent his country at a national emergency disaster meeting after the passage of the Christmas Eve trough and for that he is being flayed by his party because he did so without approval from his party leader. King was fulfilling a constitutional obligation as the leader of the opposition. More so, Kenny did not invite the UWP party; he invited the leader of her Majesty’s opposition

Let’s look a hypothetical scenario. Suppose Kenny had given up the political leadership of the SLP; and let’s assume Claudius Francis was the one who held that position, then should Kenny succumbed to the dictates of Claudius?  That in my opinion would constitute an affront to our parliamentary democracy and governance.

Yes, governments are formed by political parties; but their roles and orientation are distinct! Political parties are interest groups with armies of supporters; but this “philosophy” stops when they form government. They govern the country by national policies for all the people not by the partisanship, sectionalism and tribalism of the political party.           .

Perhaps, we have to blame our respective speakers of parliament for allowing the negative tribalism to saturate the proceedings of the House of Parliament. Tribalism and sectionalism should be left at the doorstep of the House of Parliament.

I can only hope that constitutional reform has addressed or will address anomalies of that nature in a very profound way.

GOLIATH VS THE COLOSSUS: "FORTUNE-TELLING" THE FUTURE OF THE LEADERSHIP OF UWP

"Kenny is King; Chastanet wants to be King; but King would have none of it!"

 This is an "imperfect article" comprising my raw and perhaps illogical thoughts (perhaps, in raw language) about the "leadership imperfections" plaguing the UWP. Some take joy from it; some are embarrassed by it; some are stunned by it! Some even claimed that they had predicted it! How anyone looks at it is perhaps dependent on his/her "political frame of reference". The POWERHOUSE opinion is simple: it is good for democracy! If the raison d'etre of political parties is to seek to govern a country, then they cannot behave like underground, "freemason societies". In that sense, the playing of what's happening to the UWP (at least, some of it) in the public domain should not necessarily be seen  in a purely "negative term of reference". It's our right to know and to have a voice on what is inside a party, especially which has been in government for a number of years and may well be the next potential government of St. Lucia again. It is against this background that I have constructed my thoughts and have choosen to share them with you.

Soldiers vs hacks

Geographically, St. Vincent is St. Lucia’s closest OECS neighbour; but, politically, they maybe the furthest apart. While in St. Vincent, the Opposition Leader claims it was “unacceptable” that his party were excluded from an emergency disaster response (EDR) meeting, in St. Lucia, the opposition is “hard heels of an apparent meltdown” over the attendance of our opposition leader at such a meeting.

No matter how facetious it may sound, St. Vincent’s Prime Minister’s response to the opposition is not only a “master shot” but it is instructive: the country was in a war with nature and “soldiers don’t wait for an invitation to join the war; soldiers report for duty.”

In St. Lucia, UWP soldiers instead of reporting for duty were fighting among themselves over the attendance of the Leader of the Opposition to a meeting with the PM to discuss EDR.

The UWP literally flayed King for “reporting for duty”; but King may be a smart kid with the wisdom of his own precedent when he invited Kenny to report to duty during Tomas.  Perhaps, Kenny might have been guided by that precedent.

Is it a Tantalus story?

Perhaps Chastanet’s “reflect action” response to King’s “autonomous” participation in an EDR meeting may be a broader issue than we may have ever contemplated.

There is a school of thought that the sale of the Chastanet’s economic dynasty to Neal and Massy is linked to the preparation of Allen for the prime ministership of St. Lucia which (based on the economic tatters we are now in) seemed imminently possible; but King’s increased “affirmative action” is seen as a major stumbling block and it is beginning to look like Allen’s fortunes in that regard may have hit an unlikely speed bump and hence his pursuit of that “fruit” may have been sincerely intercepted, if not stalled.

In that sense, Allen may now be compared to Tantalus who sees the prime ministerial fruit hanging mere millimeters away from his power-hungry grasp but despite his overwhelming hunger, that fruit continues to tantalize and elude him.

Apparently, Chastanet's overwhelming hunger for the prime-ministership is balanced by an equal and opposite overwhelming disenchantment among a vociferous UWP crew in the diaspora.

In short, Chastanet may have won the battle for delegates; but now he has to win the internecine war within the party and ultimately electoral victory. The orchestrated euphoria at the convention has apparently been melted away by the heat of the war and washed out by a huge tide of disenchantment.

Goliath meets the Colossus

There’s a view that the ongoing battle between the two “Titanic” UWP leaders blatantly exposes the reliability of the convention results; the view goes further with the assumption while support within the “UWP community” for Chastanet is vociferous, it is far more numerous for King. The general result is an increasingly growing confidence of the latter - and more and more the Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition (LOO) is beginning to look like the de facto and natural UWP leader. A further view is: although the King is longer prime minister, he, in the prevailing circumstances, looks far more prime ministerial (in word, deed or thought) than Chastanet who seeking to “displace” him.

But the complexity of the internecine war happening within the Flambeau party goes far beyond the battle between King and Chastanet and the pontifications of the vociferous pro-Chastanet faction and their bland “Jook Bois” PR which are only increasing the magnitude of the collateral damage.

As was the case during reign of the Vaughan Lewis, the UWP again has two leaders. After Vaughn lost the 1997 elections, Sir John came out of retirement and “retook the leadership” and (as he had done in 1982), he returned the UWP to power in 2006. This time around the configuration is different but the storyline is the same: two leaders (namely “LOO” and a Party leader (PL) with their respective camps) juggling for power.

Let’s briefly turn our attention to the rationalization of the tension between the camps.

The pro-Chastanet rationalization of the tension between the two camps emanate from the LOO’s failure to succumb to the PL. That rationalization may well be a battle-weary indication, if not an open admission, of the extent of Chastanet's impotence as PL or equally of the extent of the “omnipotence” of the LOO within the UWP Empire.

The omnipotence of the LOO with the UWP Empire is a compelling argument in favour King. As LOO, does he really have to succumb to the PL, especially in the context of the St. Lucia constitution which is officially silent on recognition of the latter? Further, why did that dichotomy apparently worked so well for the SLP (during Kenny and Louisy) and why isn’t it working for the UWP under the leadership of Chastanet? Did the SLP have a policy of “separation of powers” which allowed the LOO to fulfill his constitutional function with autonomy, independence and integrity? Before the Chastanet faction went to work on King, it should have done its necessary research on the antecedents and weigh the "pros and cons" consequent.

Goliath vs the Colossus

If the electoral contest between Dalson and Chastanet was seen as a battle between David and Goliath, then the leadership struggle between King and Chastanet must be seen as a battle between Goliath and the Colossus with each is wearing his own crown; but despite losing the “political leader” crown, it looks like the Colossus (perhaps having taken a page from David's Book on how to slaughter Goliaths) is rapidly closing in on an unlikely victory; but despite the imminent possibility of Chastanet’s doom, the little victims like Arsene laugh at their fate.

Does Goliath lie so low?

The ongoing battle between Goliath and the Colossus has left many of us dumbfounded! After such an impressive first knockout round, how could Goliath who is endowed with all his faculties of brilliance allow the Colossus with a corresponding deficiency of those faculties make him “lie so low”?

Paradoxically, it must have been that impressive first knockout punch that paved the way for his downfall. As the UWP “FACTORS” suggested in their missive to the PL, the answer must have been in the PL’s convention game plan which must have been based on a case of mistaken identity. Because “Kenny is King”, the radioactive knock-out punch was probably designed for Kenny but thrown at King by mistake, resulting in irreversible internal division and bitterness within the UWP empire.

But like the Phoenix from the Ashes, the Colossus and his protective belt of underground soldiers miraculously rose again; no doubt, Tucker and the Lion Heart were/are the field marshals; and with them around, it won’t be a walkover the Colossus.

What is currently happening to the UWP is not without precedent in St. Lucia! During Compton’s reign, the SLP crumbled under its own anomalies until Kenny ushered in an era of rock-solid stability. Which new Flambeau leader will emerge to remove Flambeau from the doldrums? Chastanet has yet to demonstrate that he is that leader. If anything, he seems to have captained the UWP Titanic closer to the iceberg of political destruction than King ever did.

It is evident the Flambeau fracas has an irreversible fatal tone. The normally minor post-convention political cracks seemed to have become a major geological “strike-slip fault” and it does seem to represent a precursor to an imminent major 10.1 political earthquake coming UWP way.

If this were to happen, then does the party hierarchy have the requisite tension and compression to withstand the earthquake? If it does, then it surely would have passed a major structural litmus test. The question is: what would be equivalent to a “pass”? Would it be the removal of King as LOO?

Another question is: Suppose King is removed, then who and what? The tenacious Richard is definitely out! The popular assumption is: if you remove King, then you also remove Richard! Dr Gale Rigobert has said she's not interested. Mr Arsene James (a former Opposition Leader) said he is not ready yet. That leaves Guy and Estaphan for the job.

On the surface, Guy is playing an ambivalent game; but I believe his ambivalent posturing is just a smokescreen. I am sure that I’m not the only one who is of the view that Guy will do anything to please his master. Hence, I wouldn’t be surprised that he would allow himself to be railroaded into the position by default!

A downgrade from a King to a Guy may have catastrophic consequences for the UWP and I suspect the displacement of the King as LOO may well be a fatal faux pas that may well represent major moral victory for the Colossus over Goliath.

But whatever happens in the end will be good for democracy in the sense that it will give the spectator “voters” a sneak preview of a political party’s internal stability and readiness to assume the reigns of power.

Meanwhile and on top of all that is happening, Kenny remains King; Chastanet desperately wants to be King; but King would have none of it!”

Over the Calypsonians!

FLAMBEAU ACTIVISTS WRITE TO ALLEN CHASTANET!

Flambeau Activists Called To Service (FACTS)

Castries

St. Lucia

January 5th, 2014 

Mr. Allen Chastanet 

Party Leader 

United Workers Party 

Party Headquarters 

Rodney Bay 

Castries 

Dear Mr. Chastanet. 

Members of recent vintage have introduced to, and subsequently infused our organization with a new and different ethos that has compromised our bedrock principles of Unity, Loyalty and Cooperation. It can be said without fear of contradiction that the United Workers Party has morphed into an organization without direction, embroiled as it is in division, materialism, internal wrangling, hierarchical disharmony and a preoccupation by a new cadre of members with position and entitlement. A laundry list of classless public confrontations and internal bullying has essentially stripped the organization of its remaining vestiges of widespread public adoration and support. 

The New leadership has seemingly mistaken a sense of frustration with the existing administration, as a surefire ticket to electoral victory, while simultaneously remaining oblivious to our obvious shortcomings. 

Activities leading up to the Party Annual Convention of 2013 and the management of the Party’s business in its aftermath have left an untold number of Party supporters appalled and disheartened. In many cases, we can describe the prevailing sentiment as one of outrage - without transgressing into exaggeration. A smug and overconfident leadership remains oblivious to the strong undercurrents of disaffection which currently render our Party unfocussed and ineffective. 

The following list is by no means exhaustive, but serves to highlight some of the major infractions without going into detail:- 

1. The newly introduced American format of island wide campaigning and the disparaging of members by members. 

2. The marginalization of long serving, long suffering and loyal delegates of the Party in a campaign intended to ensure that the outcome at the convention was favorable to a particular candidate and his team. 

The damage this has done in fermenting division and loathing amongst our supporters will be difficult to reverse. 

3. The non-existence of any hierarchical order within the organization which would allow for a structured ascension to positions of authority and decision making based on service, established loyalty, long term commitment and a proven track record of political and national service. 

4. A national convention at which outright hatred accompanied by the most disparaging of comments being leveled at Party members to the obvious delight of persons who hold positions of authority within the Party. 

5. The deepening of divisions within the organization following the Convention and the failure of the current leadership to correct this destructive development. 

6. There appears to be no clear strategy for governance. The focus remains one of consistent low value attacks on the Government accompanied by a slew of often ill-informed references to Sir John by the Party leader. 

7. No clear strategy for Opposition but rather a mish mash of irrelevant and poorly timed political comments which have exposed the soft underbelly of the Leadership. 

8. Finally, and yet again, an ongoing priority at reorganizing the Party with the objective of dismantling established and successful procedures and institutions. As experienced Party loyalist, this for us is a poorly disguised effort to cement the current leadership in its current position and establish a stranglehold on the Organization. This self-serving process has undermined our values and left many supporters disheartened and confused. 

No true UWP supporter should tolerate this situation; neither can it be allowed to fester for much longer. The Party does not control the timing of elections; and events following the Convention have left the Labour Party far more confident in their ability to salvage what was until then an unprecedented disaster in Office. The shine is now off the ball and only ability and experience will win the day. 

Noting the urgent need for reconciliation and sensible reform, a number of persons from various walks of life with a lifelong commitment to the success of our Party have formed ourselves into an organization under the rubric of FACTS- Flambeau Activists Called to Service. 

We uncompromisingly see this, not only as a call to serve our Party, but also to SAVE our Party from remaining indefinitely in the hands of anyone who neither knows, understands or is leading this Party in a sustainable way. We accept that there is need for reorganization; but not reorganization that is designed to strip the members of their democratic rights - including the right of constituency groups to choose their candidates. Not reorganization that allows a few recently minted “UWPS” with questionable motives and manufactured loyalty to obtain and retain a stranglehold on the operations of our dear Party. Not reorganization that seeks to erase the contribution of long serving members of this Party who are viewed as a threat to the narrow and soon to be exposed real objectives of a few well-disguised operatives within and without. Certainly the fifth columnists in all this will soon be brought under the spotlight of internal and public scrutiny in order to ensure political success and the long term survival of our organization. 

We believe the entire process leading up to the convention was dangerously flawed and the current situation clearly shows that we are correct. The most urgent priority of the current leadership was and remains the mending of fences and rebuilding of trust and cooperation. This has not been done and the obvious question is WHY. Why is it more important to reorganize? Moreover how can it be reasonable to reorganize without the benefit of the experience and attendant input of senior members of the organization? 

Might there be a desire to mold the organization in a particular way prior to inviting the participation of certain persons? What happens if the reorganization absents the input of persons who in subsequent conventions assume leadership positions? Do they then reorganize the reorganization? Obviously there are huge gaps in the planning process here and this is primarily due to the ongoing attempt at marginalization and the consolidation of power. It is not only short sighted; it is immature, neurotic and narcissistic! 

Clearly the repeated gaffes and apparent constitutional ignorance of persons involved in the ongoing attempts to compromise the stature and marginalize the authority of the former Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition are unwarranted, ill-advised and unacceptable. It is not difficult to understand the insecurities of the Political Leader given his inexperience and his obvious anxieties about finding a seat that he can win. Again, that’s comprehensible in a narrow self-serving context!  

We the FACTORS intend to assist in remedying these obvious defects that are compromising our ability at winning what should be a landslide victory in the next general election. The Leader needs a makeover - call it rebranding - and the Party desperately needs help and direction. We are here to assist through strict adherence to what has made this organization successful in the past. Our recent electoral failures were not caused by the self-serving finger pointing that has been the hallmark of those who sought to influence the thinking of Party members, but by far deeper and carefully orchestrated plans of action designed to take over our Party. 

We remain in very close communication as a group and our growing membership includes a wide array of supporters from diverse disciplines and geographic locations - most notably the established Diaspora that the Leader has so desperately sought to engage. 

Neither our values - which emanate from the traditional values of the UNITED WORKERS PARTY - or our resolve to do what is in the best interest of our Party will be diluted or in any way compromised by anyone. 

Our commitment is steadfast and the task at hand shall be completed!! 

We are watching! 

Your watchmen on the wall. 

Cc: Mr. Lenard Montoute, Deputy Leader 

 Dr. Gale Rigobert, Deputy Leader 

 Mr. Ezekiel Joseph, Chairman 

 Ms. Mary Polius, 1st

 Deputy Chairperson 

 Mr. Andy Daniel, 2nd Deputy Chairperson 

 Mr. Oswald Augustin, General Secretary 

 Branch Chairpersons