The Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) has achieved a commanding victory in the December 1 general election, capturing 14 of the 17 parliamentary seats according to preliminary results released by the Electoral Department. The United Workers Party (UWP) managed to secure just one seat, while two independent candidates successfully retained their positions.
Voter participation data reveals that 89,448 registered electors exercised their democratic rights out of a total electorate of 184,654. However, election officials have expressed serious concern over a significant increase in rejected ballots, which climbed to 1,980 compared to 1,694 during the previous electoral process.
Herman St. Helen, head of the Electoral Department, characterized the situation as particularly troubling during a press briefing. “This is too many, way too many,” St. Helen stated, referencing the rejected ballots. He suggested that reverting to voting stamps instead of current marking methods could substantially reduce the number of invalidated votes in future elections.
Constituency-level analysis demonstrates several notable electoral outcomes. In Gros Islet, the nation’s largest voting district, SLP incumbent Kenson Casimir secured a decisive victory with 8,175 votes against challenger Marcella Johnson’s 3,861 votes. This constituency also recorded the highest number of rejected ballots at 314.
The Castries North constituency witnessed independent incumbent Stephenson King successfully defend his seat with 3,485 votes (66%) against four challengers. Meanwhile, SLP leader Philip J. Pierre achieved a landslide victory in Castries East, capturing 77.8% of the vote.
Micoud South emerged as the sole constituency where UWP leader Allen Chastanet maintained his party’s presence in parliament, defeating SLP candidate Shanda Harracksingh by 673 votes. The closest contest occurred in Dennery South, where SLP incumbent Alfred Prospere retained his seat by a narrow margin of just 59 votes following a recount.
Electoral participation varied significantly across constituencies, with turnout rates ranging from 40% in Castries Central to 56% in Dennery South. The overall election results signal a substantial political realignment in Saint Lucia’s parliamentary landscape.