Prime minister King meets with delegation from opposition
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Contact: Office of the Prime Minister
Wednesday, November 3, 2010 – Prime Minister, the Honourable Stephenson King met with Acting Leader of the Opposition Honourable Phillip J. Pierre on Tuesday November 02, 2010, to brief him on the situation facing Saint Lucia in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Tomas, and the actions being taken by the Government in response to the disaster.
The Prime Minister took the opportunity to outline the scale of the disaster and to brief the Opposition on the status of critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and utilities. Particular attention was paid to the situation facing the water sector in light of the importance of water to health and life. The meeting noted that all water sources under the Management of the Water and Sewerage Company (WASCO) had been disabled and that the Company was out of production altogether. The major production unit for the north of the island, the John Compton Dam had been severely compromised.
The steps taken so far and to be taken in the short, medium and long term to restore the island’s water supply were outlined and both sides agreed that it was vital that this be accorded the highest priority. It was observed that government had taken measures to ensure that adequate supplies of drinking water were available to the population at large and it was agreed that mechanisms be instituted for distribution, to ensure that no segment of the population was disadvantaged.
It was further noted that significant progress had been made in ensuring that communication links, particularly in respect of the road network were restored. In that regard, mention was made of the Choc and Bois d’Orange bridges which were now motorable and that it was now possible for emergency vehicles to traverse the Barre de Lisle. Some communities however were still not accessible by road.
Particular concern was expressed at the situation in Soufriere. The meeting regretted the loss of life and extended condolences to families and loved ones. It was agreed that Soufriere required special attention.
Reference was made to the impact on other sectors such as education, health, tourism and agriculture which also suffered extensive damage. The commitments made so far by donor agencies and friendly governments were appreciated and it was agreed that a major effort at resource mobilization was required. Ultimately however, the mobilization of the nation in support of the national reconstruction effort was key.
The meeting ended with an exchange of pleasantries and an expression by both parties that a united effort was required in order for Saint Lucia to recover from this disaster. In that regard, it was agreed that there would be ongoing communication with the Opposition as developments unfold. It was also agreed that a mechanism be instituted to ensure that Parliamentarians were involved in the recovery effort in their constituencies. The Prime Minister undertook to communicate further with the Opposition on this.
The Acting Leader of the Opposition was accompanied by Dr. the Honourable Robert Lewis, Member of Parliament for Castries South, whilst the Prime Minister’s delegation included the Honourable Lenard Montoute, Minister for Social Transformation, Public Service, Human Resource Development, Youth and Sports, Cabinet Secretary, Cosmos Richardson, and Director of NEMO, Dawn French.
November 3, 2010
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