CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC):
Prime Minister Sir John Compton has named a 12-member Cabinet that was sworn into office on Tuesday promising to deal effectively with the socio-economic problems confronting St. Lucia.
In addition, Sir John has also named four junior ministers who all took the oath of office at a ceremony witnessed by former St. Vincent and Grenadines Prime Minister, Sir James Mitchell.
Sir John's United Workers Party (UWP) won the December 11 general elections by defeating the St. Lucia Labour Party of former prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony by an 11-6 margin.
In a 45-minute address afterwards, Sir John said that the crime situation had become a top priority for his new administration and that he had chosen Dr. Keith Mondesir to head the Home Affairs and National Security Ministry.
Wide experience
He said that Mondesir has had wide experience in medicine, community relations and management having served in Canada, St. Lucia and the wider Caribbean.
"This experience will serve him in good stead as he faces a problem that is a major public concern, and I invite the public to support him to ensure the success of the task which affects us all and which is the first responsibility of any Government," he said.
Sir John said that closely linked with crime and criminal activity is the problem of poor housing and the 'ghettorisation' of the city and towns and villages.
He noted that as a result of a shift in economic policies over the last few years, there had been a relentless drift of the young population from the rural areas into the city and urban areas.
"All our efforts at diversifying our economy will be affected unless we pay serious and urgent attention to the blight of urban decay and poor housing," he said.
Incubator for crime
Sir John said that the girdle slums which surround the city, is a veritable incubator for crime which threatens the daily lives of citizens, a problem which he said must be tackled with determination and imagination.
He said for this purpose he has created a new Ministry of Housing and Urban Renewal coupled with Local Government and has handed the portfolio to attorney Richard Frederick, another first time government minister.
Sir John said that Frederick was not only representing the city of Castries and surrounding areas where the problem was most urgent, but he is held in affection with those affected areas.
Sir John also spoke of the challenge ahead in the field of tourism and the need to appoint someone who had the knowledge and experience to guide the country in a vital area of the economy.
"In our drive to diversify and modernise our economy we've invested heavily in tourism, both by the private and the public sectors. This area will, in the foreseeable future, be the lead sector in our economy, providing not only jobs, but also impacting on our social and economic life.
"It is therefore important that we have at our disposal, persons who have the vision, the knowledge and the experience to guide us in this important area of the economy. I have therefore invited (hotelier) Mr. Allan Chastanet to serve.
"Mr. Chastanet has demonstrated the vision to see the road ahead and to prepare us for the challenges which we will inevitably meet in this fiercely competitive world. St. Lucia may be beautiful, but we must realise that we are not the only pebble on the beach, and to meet the competition we must mobilise the best brains and our resources. Mr. Chastenet will be backed by a team of men and women who have excellent track records in this field.
"ÒHis own interest in this field is no conflict but an incentive from which the entire industry will benefit. He also has the portfolio of civil aviation so he can bring in the planes to fill the hotels, Sir John said of Chastanet who owns the Coco Kreole and Coco Palm hotels.
Sir John also lauded the appointment of former public servant Ausbert d'Auvergne to head the Ministry of Economic Planning, National Development and the Public Service.
"His fiercest critics will not deny that he has the ability and he has proven this over the years when he was in the service of the Ministry of Planning and Development," the Prime Minister said.
"At this stage of our development, St. Lucia needs the talent, drive and experience of dÕAuvergne, as well as a reformed, re-organised and dedicated public service if the Government is to deliver on promises made to the electorate," he said.
Other appointments announced by Sir John, who will hold the Finance Ministry, are Leonard Spider Montoute, Minister of Social Transformation, Human Services, Youth and Sports, Rufus Bousquet Minister of External Affairs, Financial Services and Broadcasting and Stephenson King Minister for Heath and Labour.
The Cabinet will also include Ezekiel Joseph Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Guy Joseph Minister for Communications, Works and Transport and Public Utilities, Arsen James Minister for Education and Culture, and Guy Mayers, the former head of the private sector grouping here, as the Minister for Trade, Industry and Commerce.
The Junior Ministerial portfolios will be held by Tessa Mangal in Social Transformation, Womens Affairs, Youth and Sport, Marcus Nicholas Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Gaspard Charlemagne Minister in the Ministry of Education, and Edmund Estephane Minister in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Commerce.
