By Kurt Reynolds

If the United Workers Party’s first-anniversary celebrations in Micoud last Sunday proved anything, it was that when it comes to skipping the light fandango opposition leader Kenny Anthony has nothing to worry about.

The presumably rehearsed star performance by St Lucia’s second selected prime minister Stephenson King (Compton first selected Vaughan Lewis, remember?) and the Central Castries MP Richard Frederick was nothing short of nightmarish, reminiscent of some of early Hollywood’s worst portrayals involving possessed demonic savages at some bloody voodoo ritual.

Even his closest friends would have to admit the PM’s figure does not immediately bring to mind nimble-footed dance performances, whether with wolves or with the stars—speaking of which brings to mind the star-studded former prime minister’s own hilarious demonstrations of his terpsichorean abilities. For crying out loud, from March  to  December last year  Frederick and his then newly acquired UWP pals had scored heavy election points with their ridiculous platform imitations of the so-called Kenny Dance.

The last thing the nation might’ve expected from the heavily encumbered incumbents was last Sunday’s televised display, for several reasons, not least of all it’s inappropriateness that brought to mind the image of Nero fiddling while Rome burned. After all, during the several months when the new government was victimized—and consequently handicapped—by its own countless internal problems, including the period of Sir John’s illness and the public suspicion that it had been triggered by the all-important to-go-or-not-to-go-with-China controversy and the Super 8’s decision to over-rule their prime minister!—the nation had remained united in its determination to bear the consequences in respectful silence.

What a kick in the teeth, then, for SLP supporters when the jitterbugging jello prime minister and his chorus line, having survived what might easily have been a chaotic time, seemed to turn on them in Micoud! But then the Micoud “double-celebration” (to mark the party’s by-election victory as well as the government’s first year in office) was only the beginning. During a subsequent press interview Prime Minister King admitted that the task ahead was “crucial and challenging, therefore there is not much that we think we must do except to account for our stewardship.”

 If for some the statement was not quite lucid, the prime minister seemed to clarify it when he added that some of his ministers had been preparing a report of their time in office for later transmission via national TV. Maybe he referred to the Christmastime ritual when government ministers take the opportunity to boast of their achievements as if indeed they were christmas gifts to the constituencies, for which constituents should be grateful!

As for the year itself, the prime minister said: “We attended church [in Micoud last Sunday] at least to praise the Lord for having given us a full year in government and we asked for guidance in the coming years.” He said 2007 had been an eventful year, during which his government had “achieved a lot.” “It was a year that a new government, a young administration, headed by a very experienced leader, was called upon to liberate the people of St Lucia. Soon after the people took that decision and gave us the mandate our leader fell ill and later succumbed. Then it was left to the very inexperienced government, headed by myself with ten years in government to continue the mandate.”

At the Micoud meeting he had promised to “ensure in the coming months that we fix the government.” He said he planned to do so by dealing “with those we have to deal with. Enough is enough. Once you come to disrupt the progress of the people, once you come out to undermine the work of the people, we must deal with you!” No surprise that the leader of the opposition heard the prime minister’s promise in Micoud as a threat to all supporters of his party. In a press release issued at the weekend, Kenny Anthony vowed that “the St Lucia Labour Party will not allow its supporters to be victimized and abused by an immoral government that shamelessly harbors and comforts criminal elements in its ranks.”

He also interpreted the prime minister’s statement as a warning to media personnel who have been “courageous enough to question the actions of the government.” He called on STAR publisher Rick Wayne, “who constantly champions freedom of expression and association, to take careful note of this obvious assault on St Lucians by Mr King.” Finally, the leader of the opposition in his press release reminded the nation that despite all the distractions that were brought about in the last twelve months, despite the controversies, “no action was ever taken to deter the government from performing.”

 The prime minister’s statements were astonishing. When former prime minister Sir John Compton fell ill, it was the St Lucia Labour Party that had urged the country to put aside political differences, embrace each other and mourn with Sir John’s family.” He said his party had during the period of uncertainty “exercised patience and restraint and never sought to take advantage of the vulnerabilities of the government. If that is not support and encouragement, then what is?” Dr Anthony offered his own promise: “The Labour Party will not allow its supporters or other citizens to be victimized by an immoral government. We shall exercise all our rights within the four corners of the Constitution of St Lucia!”