2006 Saint Lucian general election
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All 17 seats in the House of Assembly 9 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 58.46% (5.73pp) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results by constituency. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Administrative divisions (Quarters) |
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General elections were held in Saint Lucia on 11 December 2006. The elections were fought between the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) and the United Workers Party (UWP), which between them dominated politics in Saint Lucia. The results saw the governing Saint Lucia Labour Party lose the election to the United Workers Party led by John Compton, which gained eight seats to hold an eleven to six majority.
Background
The last two elections in 1997 and 2001 had seen victories for the Saint Lucia Labour Party with the previous election in 2001 seeing them win 14 seats to only 3 for the United Workers Party.[1]
However in 2005 John Compton came out of retirement to become leader of the opposition United Workers Party again. Compton had led Saint Lucia to independence in 1979 and then been
A by-election in
Campaign
In the campaign the United Workers Party focused on crime, which they saw as increasing, and promised to make it a priority if they were elected.[7] Their leader Compton pledged to tackle unemployment, which they said was to blame for much of the crime in Saint Lucia.[8] They also promised to revive the banana industry in Saint Lucia and accused the Saint Lucia Labour Party of corruption and nepotism.[9] However the age of the United Workers Party leader John Compton, at 81, became an issue with the Saint Lucia Labour Party calling on voters to not entrust the country to him.[10]
The governing Saint Lucia Labour Party defended their record in office and put the strong economic growth over the last few years at the centre of their campaign.
The
Results
The results saw the United Workers Party gain a majority in the election, winning 11 of the 17 seats.[4] While the United Workers Party won a strong majority of the seats they were only around 2,000 votes, or 3%, ahead of the Saint Lucia Labour Party.[9] The election resulted in John Compton succeeding Kenny Anthony, and Compton became Prime Minister again at the age of 81.[2][7]
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United Workers Party | 38,894 | 51.34 | 11 | +8 | |
Saint Lucia Labour Party | 36,604 | 48.32 | 6 | –8 | |
Independents | 258 | 0.34 | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 75,756 | 100.00 | 17 | 0 | |
Valid votes | 75,756 | 97.77 | |||
Invalid/blank votes | 1,731 | 2.23 | |||
Total votes | 77,487 | 100.00 | |||
Registered voters/turnout | 132,545 | 58.46 | |||
Source: Caribbean Elections |
By constituency
The seventeen constituency results in the election were as follows.[14]
Constituency | Winner | Party |
---|---|---|
Anse la Raye /Canaries
|
Keith Mondesir | United Workers Party gain |
Babonneau | Ezekiel Joseph
|
United Workers Party gain |
Castries Central | Richard Frederick | United Workers Party gain |
Castries East | Philip Pierre
|
Saint Lucia Labour Party hold |
Castries North | Stephenson King | United Workers Party gain |
Castries South | Robert Lewis | Saint Lucia Labour Party hold |
Castries South East | Guy Joseph | United Workers Party gain |
Choiseul
|
Rufus Bousquet | United Workers Party gain |
Dennery North
|
Marcus Nicholas | United Workers Party hold |
Dennery South | Edmund Estephane | United Workers Party gain |
Gros Islet | Lenard Montoute | United Workers Party gain |
Laborie | Alva Baptiste | Saint Lucia Labour Party hold |
Micoud North
|
John Compton | United Workers Party hold |
Micoud South | Arsene James | United Workers Party hold |
Soufriere | Harold Dalson | Saint Lucia Labour Party hold |
Vieux Fort North
|
Moses Jean Baptiste | Saint Lucia Labour Party hold |
Vieux Fort South | Kenny Anthony | Saint Lucia Labour Party hold |
References
- The Jamaica Observer. 10 December 2006. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ a b "Sir John Compton". The Daily Telegraph. London. 10 September 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- guardian.co.uk. London. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ a b "UWP wins St Lucia polls". Caribbean360. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 27 January 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ Jamaica Gleaner. 11 December 2006. Archived from the originalon 21 November 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ "St Lucia by-election victory for independent candidate". Caribbean Net News. 14 March 2006. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ a b "Compton is back in power in St Lucia". BBC Online. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ a b c "Independence hero claims victory". Caymanian Compass. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ The Jamaica Observer. 13 December 2006. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- Jamaica Gleaner. 1 November 2006. Archived from the originalon 10 November 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- The Jamaica Observer. 17 December 2006. Retrieved 20 May 2009. [dead link]
- Jamaica Gleaner. 21 November 2006. Archived from the originalon 7 October 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- Jamaica Gleaner. 11 December 2006. Archived from the originalon 21 November 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- ^ "St Lucia legislative election of 11 December 2006". Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 20 May 2009.