St. Lucia PM Hosts Barbadian Common Entrance Students

Contact: Prime Minister's Press Secretary

Castries, St. Lucia, June 15, 2001-  Prime Minister Dr. Kenny D. Anthony on Friday morning met for some 40 minutes with a group of about two dozen Barbadian Common Entrance examination students from the People’s Cathedral, who were on the island for three days.

Accompanied by their teachers and at least one parent, the students met the St. Lucia PM at the Cabinet Room where weekly Cabinet meetings take place. He explained it was the seat of government and they were sitting in the same chairs on which minister make crucial decisions, including decisions on matters of education, youth and sports.

The students asked the St. Lucia Prime Minister several questions ranging from politics to pleasure and education. Among them were: As Prime Minister, do you ever think there may be anyone else better than you to run the country? Have you kept all your party’s election promises? Are you generally nice to people as you are with us? Do you do your best to explain to people what your government is doing? Would you like to be Prime Minister again after the next general elections? Do you get stress from your fellow ministers? Is there any law against loud music in minibuses taking students to school?? Were you nervous when you first got the news that you had become Prime Minister? Do you get time to go to the beach? Were you annoyed when you saw your wife being arrested on Barbados TV?

Dr. Anthony said “there may be persons out there” better than him to run the country, “but I am not sure whether they are willing to become politicians.”

He said his government hadn’t delivered on all the ruling party’s promises, “but I am sure we have delivered on the vast majority of our promises – I believe between 85% to 90% -- which I will be reporting to the people as we head for the polls soon.”

Dr. Anthony said he was “normally calm and pleasant, although there are times I become annoyed at certain things that might have been said or done. It is important to remember that I am just another human being with feelings like anyone else.” But, he added, I always try to explain honestly what the government is doing, even when people may not agree with what I’m saying.”

The St. Lucia Prime Minister said he would like to be PM again after the next general elections. “But I do not want to be PM forever, as I would like the people to be able to change their Prime Minister from time to time. Democracy must be regenerative,” he explained.

He acknowledged he did get some stress form his colleagues from time to time, “but it’s not on purpose, just that they can be overzealous in their zeal to represent their constituencies and constituents.”

He said that loud music on buses “is banned here, like in Barbados, but like in Barbados too, the drivers find ways and means to evade the law, but not forever.”

Dr. Anthony said he intended to be his natural self in the upcoming election campaign “and I will continue to be honest with the people as I have been up to now, because the people are wise these days and not easily fooled anymore by politicians.”

He confirmed that he was “a bit nervous” when his party won the election and he learned he was to become the new PM “because I realized then, more than ever before, the awesome responsibility that would be on my shoulders. I’ve lived it for the past four years and I can tell you that the responsibility is really awesome.”

Regarding getting time off to go to the beach, the PM explained that was “virtually impossible in St. Lucia” as it was difficult for people to let him live a private life. But he conceded that on his every visit to Barbados, “I take time off to enjoy your beaches in a way that I cannot at home.”

On the matter of seeing his wife being manhandled by the Barbados police on TV, Dr. Anthony replied: “I was very proud of her because she was trying to help her students and she stood by them all the way. It troubled her for a few days, but it is also very important for a Prime Minister to respect the law and avoid using the privileges of his office to his advantage.”

“I wanted to be at my wife’s side in the courts, for example, but had I gone there, the fact that I am a Prime Minister would probably have interfered with the process. I had to stay away and let justice take its course, even while I naturally support my wife…”

Dr. Anthony said he loved Barbados, where he lived and worked for eight years as a student and lecturer and as a lawyer.

He invited the students to comment on their stay in St. Lucia and most said the stay was too short and all expressed the wish to return, saying they were pleased with their stay but it was too short.

The students arrived on Monday and returned to Barbados on Friday afternoon.

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Search for 2001 Press Releases ] [Site Help]

© 2001 Government Information Service. All rights reserved.

Read our privacy guidelines.