PM Philip Pierre and SLP projected to return to government following St. Lucia election

Early vote tabulations on Election Day indicate that the St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) is on track for a return to Government, even as the official count remains underway Monday evening.

Preliminary vote totals from the first tally show the SLP at 27,156 votes, ahead of the United Workers Party at 19,009 votes, with ballots still being counted.

Several key seats are already shaping up based on early projections:

• UWP Leader Allen Chastanet is projected to hold his Micoud South seat.

• Former Prime Minister Stephenson King is projected to retain his Castries North seat as an Independent MP.

• Prime Minister Philip J Pierre is projected to hold his Castries East seat.

Saint Lucia is divided into 17 constituencies, with 180,000 voters registered for the general election. Approximately 44 candidates and eight independents contested the polls, which regional observers have widely described as a two-party contest between the SLP and UWP.

In the lead-up to Monday’s vote, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre, leading the SLP into his second consecutive general election campaign, publicly signaled optimism that the party would maintain or expand its 13-seat hold from the July 2021 election.

The Electoral Department confirmed polls opened at 6:30 a.m. and closed at 6 p.m. on Monday. The elections were observed by regional teams, including CARICOM and the OAS election mission.

While the early vote margin favors the SLP, the official seat count is still being verified by returning officers. Final declared results are expected later this evening as counting continues across all constituencies.