LONDON, England – The unfettered utterances by the incumbent chairman of the United Workers Party (UWP) Oswald Augustin, towards the director of the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) Bishnu Tulsie, that he should ‘Go to Guyana’ and “sort out their election issues instead of trying to sort-out Saint Lucian issues. Case closed,” has implications and significant repercussions, if not addressed promptly.
At the onset, Augustin is ill-informed about much, to attempt the intricacies of Caribbean politics. Awkward for him – Guyana’s general election was declared, ‘a triumph for democracy’, Vs., the sad reflection on Saint Lucian politics that permutates the UWP, tantamount to Machiavellian: and the utter “embarrassment” of an Allen Chastanet led administration.
Augustin denunciation of Tulsie and that of the National Trust regulatory authority to advise the government of Saint Lucia to reconsider the decision to ‘lease Queen’s chain to Cabot Saint Lucia for 75 years’ – is indicative of the mindset of the government of Saint Lucia to lip service on CARICOM – OECS integration, the tribalism of interisland minuscule minds that proffer “colonialism had a conscience and unfettered ineptitude” that continues with the accredited dogma of untrained minds, at the forefront of national dialogue and policy-decisions in Saint Lucia.
Oswald Augustin, chairman of the incumbent United Workers Party (UWP) on the verge of an election, said:
“Tulsie is a politician, I just want Tulsie to go to Guyana and sort out their election issues instead of trying to sort out Saint Lucian issues. Case closed. Now I’m getting very bad on that one. Go and sort out theirs before you come and sort out mine. Alright, sort out yours before you sort out mine. Case closed.”
“I have to get bad on him because there’s too many things other people and the labour party has done in Saint Lucia and you heard no noise about it, and that is the problem I have. If you going to talk about one, you have to talk about all. That’s the bottom line. When one there you quiet and when another one come you making noise? No! Go and sort out the election issues they have in Guyana first and then come back and talk to me.” Augustin said.
Augustin utterances are more definitive, given engagements in region trade, shipping agent, etc… Moreover, he sits on statutory board(s) of the government of Saint Lucia; with access to the Cabinet of ministers and petty bourgeoisie’s that conceivably share identical inferences – and seemingly venerate likewise.
Augustin’s ‘numbskull’ statement – ‘Go to Guyana’ – has significant overtones beyond his minuscule comprehension and Saint Lucia – which will unfold in the coming months.
He has also perhaps blindly overlooked that the minister for tourism Dominic Fedee is a said native of Guyana. The prime minister is a said native of Martinique (albeit undisclosed, except for the love of Ti-Punch) amongst others in the parliament of Saint Lucia. And since we are at this juncture, then, what about ministers of government (with dual nationality and/or second citizenship) who according to a member of parliament, “ disqualifies one as a Saint Lucian and participation in the electoral process,” film at 11.
However, the big picture from Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) Bishnu Tulsie, effortless retort to Augustin reads:
“Firstly, I want to thank him because if he’s asking me to go back to Guyana and deal with the issues there, then he must be admitting that I have the ability to solve complex problems. I want to thank him for that acknowledgement,” said Tulsie in an interview with reporter Tresha Lionel. Tulsie says he is also disappointed that this is the level of thinking at the highest level of the party.
“It’s scary if that’s how they think. It’s scary for where the country is going. I am not disappointed with what he said because I don’t expect better of him but I am worried about the country because if the party at the highest level is thinking that way, we’re in a very dark place,” Tulsie advised the uniformed Augustin, chairman of the UWP, that he moved to Saint Lucia in 1980. “Saint Lucia’s my home. I’ve adopted Saint Lucia and Saint Lucians have adopted me, and I’m grateful for that. I do the best I can in whatever job I’m in and that’s what drives me. I’m currently in a job which is with an organization that was created to find a balance between conservation and development, and as long as I’m in that job, that is what I’ll do,” Tulsie explained.
Augustin’s unintelligent and heartfelt utterances communicates his government, led by the prime minister of Saint Lucia, absent a statement to withdraw and denounce such; affirms the continued deterioration of credibility, ineptitude on matters of national development and regional integration. Thus, the government of Saint Lucia presumptions at international forums are hypocritical, baseless and void.
Similar, it affirms concerns to threats not currently addressed that “the truth is what you believe the truth to be” and “alternative facts” mired in the continued degradation of the Saint Lucian society.
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It is estimated that over one million Guyanese, when counting their dependents, live outside of Guyana. This exceeds the population of Guyana, which is now about 750,000. Many left early in the 50’s and 60’s while others went with the next wave in the 70’s and 80’s. The latest wave left over the last 20 years. This outflow of Guyanese, therefore, covers some three generations. This outflow still continues today, where over 80 % of U.G. graduates now leave after graduating. We hope this changes, and soon.
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