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Christmas Message to His Vieux Fort South Constituency
My fellow constituents of Vieux Fort South, as we once again celebrate the
Christmas season I would like to convey to you a message of peace, togetherness,
fellowship and goodwill, that I hope will endure not only for the festive season
but throughout the New Year. Christmastime is the period during which Christians
celebrate god’s love revealed to the world through Christ. It is my sincere wish
that during this holiday season that we embrace the message of hope and heed
Jesus’ call to love one another, for indeed these are the lasting legacies of
the birth of the Christ child.
Christmas is also a time of great wonder and joy, of generosity and peace that
binds family and friends together in celebration. As we observe the hallowed
traditions that make the season special, let us not forget those least fortunate
among us. Let us remember to comfort and console those who have lost love ones.
To those whose love ones are ill, bed-ridden, let us offer to them our support
and prayers. To those who are destitute and hungry let us open to them our homes
and invite them to feast at our tables. During this holiday season, I want to
impress upon you, my dear constituents of Vieux Fort South, of the need to
rediscover the communal spirit which was once characteristic of all Saint Lucian
societies. This communal spirit must not be rediscovered only to be forgotten
once the holiday season is over but must continue into the New Year.
The year two thousand and three has indeed been a challenging one for the
constituents of Vieux-Fort South and for me personally as your representative.
During the course of the year I experienced the ebb and flow of public life. As
I faced the many challenges throughout the year, I felt heartened by the many
among you who offered words of encouragements and support. I felt reassured by
your advice and by your constructive criticisms. I am also aware that some of
you have been disappointed during the course of the year for one reason or the
other. I welcomed it all and I want to assure you that I will continue to work
with you throughout the New Year, as I have done during my tenure as your
parliamentary representative. The provision of the best possible representation
to you the constituents of Vieux Fort South has been and today remains my
greatest preoccupation. I will forever remain faithful to your cause.
It would be remiss of me if I did not take this opportunity to publicly thank
you for the many prayers offered on my behalf and for the messages of goodwill
conveyed throughout the year and in particular, during the period of my brief
ill-ness. Prayer is a powerful instrument and I am certain that those offered on
my behalf played a very important role in ensuring my speedy recovery.
During this festive season I urge that you to exercise moderation. Do not
indulgence in excesses to the point where you become a danger to yourselves and
others. Avoid confrontational situations and allow good sense to prevail rather
than resorting to violence as a means of conflict resolution. The refusal to
heed this call will be tantamount to the betrayal of the spirit of peace which
Christmas has come to symbolize. Therefore restraint must be exercised in order
to avoid causing pain, suffering and embarrassment to love ones.
After the festive season is over, it is imperative that we have constituents who
are strong, healthy and dedicated to the task of community building and by
extension nation building. I look forward in the New Year to the reopening of
Club Med and the contribution it will make by way of alleviating the
unemployment situation in Vieux Fort South. I will continue to work assiduously
during the course of the New Year to attract greater foreign investment to Vieux
Fort South so as to provide a better quality of life to the constituents.
In the year two thousand and three we have had to come face to face with the
harsh realities of crime. We cannot however throw our arms in the air, in
surrender. We cannot and must not give up but rather face this scourge with a
common resolve. The existence of gangs constitutes for us a clear and present
danger and in the New Year they must be dealt with firmly. It is absurd that the
residents of Vieux Fort cannot walk from one end of the town to the other
because of turf and gang warfare. We face many problems but none insurmountable
if we are prepared to work collectively for the common good and well-being of
the community of Vieux-Fort South.
I once again would like to thank you my fellow constituents for the trust, faith
and confidence you have bestowed upon as your parliamentary representative. It
is my solemn promise that during the New Year I will redouble my efforts and
will work even harder to provide the type of representation and leadership that
you have come to expect from me.
As we again celebrate Christ's birth, may the glorious light of God's goodness
and love shine forth from our land. May god’s blessings of peace be continuously
upon us and I sincerely hope that your experience during this holiday season is
one of peace, love and of hope. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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