General elections were held in Saint Lucia on 26 July 2021,[1] having been constitutionally required by 12 October 2021. Voters elected all 17 members of the House of Assembly.[2] The result was a victory for the opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party, which won 13 of the 17 seats in the House, while the ruling United Workers Party lost nine of its eleven seats, its worst result since 1997. It was the fourth consecutive election in which the incumbent government was defeated.
According to the constitution, elections for a new Parliament session can be held at the latest 5 years and 90 days after the opening of the previous session. The first session after the 2016 election was held on 12 July 2016, leaving the deadline in October 2021. Incumbent Prime MinisterAllen Chastanet favoured a later date, stating in April 2021 his intent to avoid another outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saint Lucia.[2] On 5 July 2021, he announced that the election would be held on 26 July.[4]
Campaign
Political parties began announcing prospective candidates in December 2020.[5][6][7]
On Nomination Day, 16 July, the governing United Workers Party (UWP) nominated candidates for all 17 constituencies. The opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) nominated candidates for 15 constituencies, not fielding candidates in two constituencies where former UWP members campaigned as independents. The National Green Party (NGP) nominated candidates for eight constituencies.[8][9]
Although the parties held campaign rallies, they mutually agreed not to allow motorcades after warnings from health authorities.[10]
In June 2021 the UWP announced a five-point pledge of top priority items it would deliver if re-elected: the pledge included additional support for needy persons, a reduction in VAT, electronic textbooks for students and a health insurance programme covering all citizens.[11]
The NGP was founded on 23 May 2021. For the upcoming election, the party announced food security to be its key issue, along with constitutional reforms that the UWP and SLP had not passed. The NGP also proposed increased spending on social services and tourism infrastructure; these projects would be funded by establishing a legal cannabis industry.[12]
Conduct
The Caribbean Community sent a team of ten election observers for the main election as well as the advance polls on 23 July, and gave a favourable initial assessment.[13] Chaired by Alvin Smith, the five-member team from the Commonwealth[14] also praised the conduct of the elections, but criticised the slow updating of the voter registry.[15] The Organization of American States sent a team of twelve election observers.[16]
Results
The opposition SLP won a supermajority of 13 of the 17 seats, a gain of seven. This was the highest number of seats won by a single party since 1997. The UWP retained only two seats, those of PM Chastanet and Commerce Minister Bradley Felix, with the party facing its second worst performance in history, only behind the 1997 elections. Among its many loses, the UWP lost the Micoud North seat for the first time since independence. Two former UWP members running as independents, Stephenson King and Richard Frederick, won their seats, both by large margins.[17][18][19]
SLP leader Pierre thanked the people of Saint Lucia for his party's win, promising to focus on healthcare and youth employment.[20][21] PM Chastanet called Pierre to offer his congratulations. In a Facebook post, Chastanet thanked the UWP supporters and announced that the party will regroup.[22] The NGP Deputy Leader Aaron Alexander congratulated the SLP and affirmed his party's willingness to work with them to improve the country.[23]
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