The leader of the small Opposition Lucian Peoples Movement (LPM), Therold Prudent, on Tuesday warned of what he termed “a dirty general election” in the coming months as St Lucians prepare to elect a new government.
Prudent told a news conference that while his party would not be part of that sort of campaign, he was predicting that millions of dollars will be spent by the ruling St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) after four years of dismal performance.
He also said that people would become targets of criticism by the ruling party.
“Even you members of the media will be attacked for presenting balanced views which they don’t want you to present. They want you to be in their pockets,” Prudent said, adding that the independence of journalists will be at stake.
“You are the ones to help to protect the democratic system,” he said.
“When you present a balanced view, they will take issue with you and tell you that you did not do it right, but you do not work for them, you work for your company and you work for the people of St Lucia most of all,” Prudent told the news conference.
The general election is constitutionally due by December, and the ruling SLP is expected to face a challenge from the main Opposition United Workers Party and the LPM.
