Prime Minister's 1998 Christmas Address

Many of you know those familiar words of Isaiah, the prophet, when he foretold the coming of Christ : "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." The Prince of Peace! This is the great title of the One whose birth all the world celebrates during the Christmas season. He is called Prince of that state of mind and heart that most people desire - peace.

Yet, even as we speak, the nations of the earth are everywhere engaged in a desperate search for peace. At the highest levels, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ambassadors, people’s representatives are meeting to solve the problems that prevent so many from living in harmony with each other. Israel and Palestine, Iraq, factions in Northern Ireland, India and Pakistan, are historical trouble spots. Many of you may be unaware that in Africa today, there are raging wars between tribes and mong countries of the Continent. The genocide of Rwanda and Burundi are a modern day horror too terrible to contemplate. You can add to this list many other atrocities.

The possibility of peace is not erased only by wars and "rumours of wars." You and I are also painfully aware of the continuing abuses against children and women. Domestic violence threatens the foundations of every society in its attacks on the home and family. Domestic violence is like a brutal war to all who experience its traumatic consequences.

While we in St. Lucia have been spared the horrors of war, we too also long for peace. It is with sadness, but also with anger, that I make mention again of the recent upsurge in crime. How sad that criminal elements will use this season of celebration, this season of peace-making, to commit their acts of terror. In this season of peace, they have declared war on a society that wants to go about its business in a law-abiding way. Reports coming in from other islands, from Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad, indicate that similar crimes are taking place at this time. We are not alone.

MEM SI NOU AN SÉZON NWÈL, LA NI MOUN, VYÉ KWIMINEL, KI KA SÈVI TAN SA-A POU FE MOVEZTÉ. SA KA FE MWEN LAPENN. MWEN SAV SITUASION SA LA KA BAI TOUT PEP SET LISI LAPENN. NOU VLÉ LAPÉ,

MÉ LA NI MOUN KI VLÉ TJÉTÉ PÉYI-NOU AN LADJÉ. MÈ, MWEN KA DI TOUT MOUN, YO PA KAI FÈ SA! MEM BAGAI KA PASE AN DOT PÉYI KARAIBES. SÉ PA NOU SEL KI NI KWIM AN PÉYI NOU. MÉ NOU AN SET LISI NI POU TWOUVÉ AN SOLUSION.

NOU PA SA KONTINUÉ KON SA. KWIM KA DÉTWI LAPÉ. SA PA SA KONTINUÉ! SA PA KAI CONTINUÉ!

We are learning as an Independent nation that our constitutional freedoms must always be jealously guarded and defended. There are forces, both external and internal, that will seek to prevent us from living at peace with each other. Our National Day theme pledged us to move "together as a people towards 2000." Our Independence 1999 theme will call us to be "purposeful, confident and united." In the spirit of Christmas, we seek all year long to live at peace with everyone. But, there an be no peace when there are guns in the hands of unscrupulous criminals, when the drug trade is destroying and corrupting the lives of our young people, when there are still too many traffic violations and dangerous driving on our roads. How can peace fill our valleys when too many care nothing for others but seek only their own satisfaction, no matter how many laws they break?

St. Lucia is part of a world that must always defend itself against evil -doers and criminals who have no interest in law, true development and peace. These problems of crime and violence are not unique to us. But it is our responsibility to find solutions to our own problems together. Several ministers of our Government and I have called on communities to do more to help our Police. It may be time to review, with the help of senior police officers, the proper establishment of neighborhood watch groups. Even in the midst of Christmas celebrations, unfortunately, this is when we must be even more alert.

YON SOLUSYON MWEN KA PWÒPOSÉ SÉ SA :MWEN KAI MANDE SÉ GWO CHÈF POLIS POU TWAVAY PLI ÉPI SÉ COMMUNITÉ-A POU ÉTABLI GWOUP SÈWYÉ, KI KAI JÉTÉ ZYÉ YO AN COMMUNITÉ-YO, POU ASSIWÉ LA PA NI MOUN KI KA FÈ VYÉ BAGAI, VYÉ KWIM. GWOUP KON SA KAI TWAVAÍ EPI POLIS-LA POU AIDÉ KOMBAT KWIM. GOUVÈDMAN EK POLIS KAI KONTINUÉ FÉ TWAVAY-YO. MÉ ÉPI COMMUNITÉ-NOU, NOU SA TWAVAY ANSAMN POU DOUBOUT SÉ KWIMINEL-LA. SA SÉ YON SOLUSYON. MÉ I SA AIDÉ NOU ÉPI PWOBLEM SA-LA.

In the Spirit of the Prince of Peace, at this Christmas time, I commit this Government of the St. Lucia Labour Party to work tirelessly for peace and law and order in our country. Our people and our visitors must be safe, day or night, in their homes or on our streets. Our children and women must be unmolested. Our elderly must be protected against those who have no respect for age or youth. In this time of good will toward all men, we cannot and must not compromise with those who will not turn from a life of crime. It is the Government and the Police Service, with you, the communities of St. Lucia everywhere, who can fight and defeat those who seek to turn our peace-loving country into war zones. Only together, as a people united in this resolve to protect our freedoms, can we win this battle.

MEM SI PWOBLEM KWIM KA BAI NOU TOUT LAPENN, TWAVAY GOUVEDMAN SET LISI KA FÈ BON PWOGWÉ.

LANNÉ SA LA, ZAFÈ FIG-LA PWEN DOUVAN. NOU KA FÈ DÉBAT ÉPI L’AMÉWIK TOUJOU POU FAMA SET LISI. MÉ, AN SET LISI JODI-A, FAMA JA GWEN ENDÉPANDANS. JODI-A, LA NI DEÉ KOMPANI KI KA GADÉ POU ZAFÉ FAMA.

TOURISM KA FÈ GWAN DÉMACH. TOUT PATOU OU GADÉ, MOUN KA BATI KAI-YO. MOUN BIZNIS KA BATI BIZNIS-YO. LÈ OU ALLÉ PYES KOTÉE AN SET LISI, MOUN NI AN CONFIANS, PAS YO WÉ BAGAI KA MACHÉ.

ANKÒ, LANNÉ SA LA KI PASÉ, PLI TI MAMAI ENTWÉ LEKOL SÉKONDÈ.

SET LISIEN KI DÈWÒ VLÉ SAV KI SA KA PASÉ ISI-A. MWEN TÉ NI AN CHANS JOU NASIONAL, POU PALÉ ÉPI YO ASOU INTERNET-LA. YO VLÉ MÉTÉ LAJAN-YO EN PÉYI-YO. GOUVÈDMAN KA ENVITÉ YO POU VINI WÈ POU KO YO MEM, TOUT DÉVÈLOPMAN NOU NI AN SET LISI JODI-A.

MÉ, POU YO VINI, POU MOUN ÉTWANGÉ METÉ LAJAN-YO AN SET LISI, NOU TOUT NI POU KOMBAT KWIM AN PÉYI NOU. ANNOU TWAVAY ANSAMN ASSOU PWOBLEM SA LA. ANNOU TWAVAY ANSAMN ASSOU TOUT PWOBLEM NOU NI AN SET LISI.

I wish it had been possible this Christmas to speak less of the present threats to peace and safety, and more of pleasant things. For much has been accomplished this year by the Government and people. This Government and the people of St. Lucia it represents, are developing a relationship of open dialogue and sharing of ideas that may well be unique in our region. This year we hosted Caricom leaders and President Nelson Mandela of South Africa. This year the banana industry took a major step forward in independence and maturity. Tourism continues to grow. Private sector investments and expansion are increasing. We kept our promises to sell shares in our National Commercial Bank to our people. More children gained access to secondary schools than ever before. My recent chat with St. Lucians on the Internet augurs well for a new and more meaningful relationship with our people who live and work in other countries.

This year too, on a note of sadness, we lost many good friends. Kenneth John, the late Parliamentarian who represented Babonneau/Castries NorthWest, exemplified in his life and sacrificial death the best of Christian values - he gave his life for another. We lost too Wayne Louis, President of the National Youth Council. Everyone agrees that he was a young man of great promise.

So many of you have known the loss of dear relatives and friends. We have had too many accidents on our roads. Many of you have suffered because of the lawlessness of others.

While we were spared the ravages of hurricanes, many others in our region have been disastrously affected. Let us generously extend our help wherever we can to our Caribbean neighbours in Central America.

Also this year, the region mourned the passing of two Caribbean giants, Mr. William Demas and Mr. Kurleigh King. Both were former Secretaries General of Caricom, and highly respected Caribbean citizens.

My fellow St. Lucians, we can make 1999 a year of major achievements for all. Together, let us close ranks against everything that would divide us. Let the forces of division know that we stand united. I spoke to you once about the necessities that bind us, and the need to find together a sense of national purpose. Without the peace that is the promise of Christmas, in our hearts, towards each other, and on every street corner, we will not move forward socially or economically. Sons and daughters of St. Lucia, let us pray with one mind for peace in our beautiful country at this Christmas time. It was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, who taught us, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God."

Let us have a good, safe Christmas holiday, and may God bless us all in the coming New Year 1999.

AN SÉZON NWÉL SA-A, MWEN KA MANDÉ TOUT MOUN POU

PWÉDYÉ POU LAPÉ AN BEL PÉYI-NOU. SÉ BONDYÉ KI MANDÉ NOU POU VIV ANSAMN AN LAMOU EK LAPÉ.

ANNOU PASÉ AN BON NWÈL, EC AN BON JOUDLAN. MWEN KA MANDÉ BONDYÉ POU BÉNI NOU TOUT.

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