Final count confirms Prospere as Dennery South MP

The electoral contest in Saint Lucia’s Dennery South constituency has concluded with a definitive victory for incumbent candidate Alfred Prospere following an official recount. The final tally, conducted in accordance with Section 65 of the Elections Act (1979), revealed Prospere secured 1,566 votes against United Workers Party candidate Benson Emile’s 1,507 votes, establishing a winning margin of 59 votes.

This outcome represents the slimmest electoral margin in an election otherwise dominated by the Saint Lucia Labour Party’s (SLP) overwhelming parliamentary majority. The constituency demonstrated exceptional voter engagement, recording a 56% turnout rate—the second highest nationally, surpassed only by Soufrière’s 61% participation.

The recount process commenced at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 2, with the returning officer supervising the review of ballot boxes in the presence of candidate agents. This procedural verification included re-examination of previously rejected ballots before final confirmation of results.

Prospere, who currently serves as Minister for Agriculture pending new cabinet appointments, previously unseated UWP incumbent Edmund Estephane in the 2021 elections with a more substantial margin of 1,548 to 1,364 votes. His re-election marks at least the third consecutive instance of a two-term parliamentary representative for the Dennery South constituency.

The electoral writ of declaration must be formally delivered to the Chief Electoral Officer by Friday, December 5, barring any formal objections to the confirmed results.