North & Central America and Caribbean

Saint Lucia
Last reviewed: 9 February 2009

Country information

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POLITICS

The United Workers Party (UWP) won the December 2006 general elections, ending nine years of government by the St Lucia Labour Party (SLP). Sir John Compton, who had emerged from retirement in March 2005 to successfully challenge for the leadership of the party, was appointed Prime Minister for the third time. He had previously led the country from 1964 to 1979, and 1982 to 1996.

The UWP under Sir John Compton had dominated post-independence politics, but suffered a heavy defeat to a St Lucia Labour Party (SLP)-led coalition in the May 1997 general election. The SLP retained power in 2001, and seemed set for a third term in December 2006 following a period of steady economic growth and development. But a late surge in support for the UWP gave them an 11-6 victory in the House of Assembly, albeit with barely 50% of the votes cast.

Sir John Compton suffered a series of strokes at the end of April 2007, and died in hospital in Castries on 7 September 2007. Stephenson King, who had been Acting Prime Minister during Compton’s illness, was sworn in as Prime Minister on 9 September 2007.

In recent years, St Lucia has seen escalating violent crime, much of it linked to a growing gang-culture driven by the illicit drugs trade. A nationwide survey published in February 2003 revealed that a vast majority of the population believed that crime was a serious or very serious problem in Saint Lucia. Tackling crime is a high priority for the UWP Government. In November 2006, St Lucia recruited nine former British police officers to the Royal St Lucia Police Force in an effort to improve the performance of the police. This saw a mainly positive public response particularly as the murder rate reduced from 39 in 2006 to 27 in 2007 however their contracts have now come to an end and the murder rate for 2008 reached 37 in the first week in December. There have also been calls for the return of the death penalty for convicted murderers.