Government’s Decision is the People’s Decision

Last weekend’s editorial endeavoured to exhort our people to remain united – and St. Lucian – notwithstanding the fact that we are presently host to the Taiwanese and the Chinese, who display an overwhelming amount of antagonism toward each other.
This piece goes a little further, reminding all our readers that, not only is it a priority to cherish and uphold our St. Lucian identity, we should not, especially during these trying times, forget that once the fever of campaigning and electioneering is over, it is time to put aside our partisan sentiments and unite behind whichever government we have seen fit to put in office for the term.
Although it is true that one segment of the electorate cast their vote for one party and one segment for the other, it is an accepted fact that whoever is given the reins of responsibility by receiving the greater number of ballots, represents all of the people and should therefore be given the support of all.
If, as the saying goes, the voice of the people is the voice of God, then it is to be assumed that it is by divine will and providence that we have chosen those who have the task of administering the affairs of the country.
They have the task of choosing for us between left and right, high and low, black or white, Taiwan and China.
It has never been any secret that the United Workers Party enjoyed ties with Taiwan and that the St. Lucia Labour Party was affiliated to China. There was little doubt in the minds of those who made it their business to listen to the platform speeches, the televised and printed interviews, that Sir John and the UWP favoured having diplomatic relations with Taiwan. There were even (still unsubstantiated) rumours that campaign funds were being supplied to both sides by those with whom they were “affiliated”.
Diplomatic ties with Taiwan, therefore, was a part of the package that was being voted for , by those who would cast their vote beside the flambeau.
Now that the country has signed up with Taiwan, no one could insinuate that they have been misled by Sir John and his party … no more than we could have expressed surprise if, had the SLP won, they would have retained their arrangement with China.
Sir John did the expected … he signed with Taiwan. We knew that that would be the outcome, once we voted him into office.
And once elections were over, he took the decision not on behalf of the UWP, but on behalf of the country, for his government is the government, not of the UWP, but of St. Lucia.
It is time to learn to unite as a country behind the government we have entrusted with our destinies, and accept the decisions they make on our behalf.
That is the reason we have put them in place.