Letters & Opinion

Hilaire Continues to Manipulate the Truth

Image of Dr. Ernest Hilaire

THE EDITOR: The events of the past week have once again proven that the Saint Lucia Labour Party continues to manipulate the truth in their own narrow pursuits to engineer confusion and chaos. It is evident that ahead of their so-called march of shame, the Labour Party is trying to garner support by shamelessly misleading the public.

At a press conference on August 28th 2018, Dr. Ernest Hilaire, Saint Lucia Labour Party rep for Castries South, made a statement where he referred to a Government Minister as a liar. This was in reference to the former SLP administration’s agreement with Range Developments for the Black Bay Lands and the Government’s attempts at returning those lands to the people of Saint Lucia.

He sought to achieve this by presenting a document from the Land Registry dated September 11th 2017. It is clear his intention was to create the false impression that the current administration was responsible for the Range Development land transaction.

Dr.Hilaire is fully aware and it is public knowledge that the former administration signed the agreement with Range Developments five days before the 2016 general elections.

Is Dr.Hilaire not aware that the former SLP administration was in negotiations with Range for over a year?

This fact was confirmed at a joint conference held on June 2nd 2016 between Range Developments Ltd and representatives of the Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP).

Does this period not coincide with Dr.Hilaire’s tenure as Chairman of CIP? Is Dr.Hilaire playing games with the truth or was he asleep at the CIP wheel?

At the press conference Dr.Hilaire clearly evaded questions about the SLP government’s involvement in brokering and signing the Range deal which also included the terms under which the Black Bay lands would have been sold.

How dare he accuse the Minister of being a liar when there is ample evidence of Dr.Hilaire’s own discomfort with the truth?

When you examine his previous statement Dr.Hilaire said the Government would have to pay Range over US$100 million. Subsequently, he said the Government would have to pay US$20 million. Where is he getting these outrageous figures?

He has also deliberately failed to give the sequence of events which led to the Government being in an agreement with Range Developments.

The United Workers Party demands that Hilaire answer the following questions:
• Who negotiated the terms of the agreement with Range?
• What role did Dr.Hilaire play in the negotiations with Range?
• When was the agreement signed?
• Does Dr.Hilaire deny that the terms at which the land would be sold is contained in this agreement?
• DoesDr.Hilaire and the SLP believe that the current administration should not have honoured the agreement with Range?

The United Workers Party notes the deafening silence of their former supreme leader and former Prime Minister Dr. Kenny D. Anthony on this matter.

Notwithstanding, the United Workers Party is fully confident and assures the people of Saint Lucia that the Government will work towards the best possible outcome for our country. (UWP)

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