Joshhua shines light on ‘BayBay’ inexactitudes

In appointing Jurgen Montoute as the Mayor of Gros Islet, parliamentary representative Kenson ‘BayBay’ Casimir for Gros- Islet referred to the said appointment as a “historic event.” I wish Montoute well and congratulate him on his appointment to this high office. “Join me in wishing him well as he becomes the youngest Mayor in our nation’s history,” #baybay4grosislet declares.

Winall Joshhua shines light on ‘BayBay’ inexactitudes – since we’re talking local government history – with a bit of history that might be of some interest.

In 1967, a 19-year-old Vieux Fortian became the youngest person in Saint Lucia to be elected to serve on a local government council. In that Town Council election in Vieux Fort, he got the second highest number of votes cast.

Four years later (in 1971), at the age of 24 years and with only a primary school education, he became chairman of the Vieux Fort Town Council, making him the youngest person in our country’s history to serve as head of a local government council, a position he held until the abolition of local government elections in 1979.

On assuming the chairmanship of the Vieux Fort Town Council, he immediately convened a meeting of members of all Town, Village and Community Councils on the island; at that meeting, which took place in Vieux Fort, the St Lucia Association of Town and Village Councils was formed, and he was elected as its chairman. In that capacity, he traversed the length and breadth of the island, providing support, guidance and encouragement to the chairmen and members of the other Councils, especially in matters involving the ministry of communications and works, the water authority and other challenging issues that they were confronted with

A major aspect of his efforts was directed at getting the ministry of local government and other government institutions to include the local councils in the decision-making process when it came to matters affecting their individual districts.

In this regard, he lobbied the ministry of local government relentlessly for more autonomy and a greater say for local councils.

Some of this did not sit too well with officials at the ministry of local government, and there was some pushback from the minister at the time, which resulted in the premier, Sir John Compton, intervening on behalf of the St. Lucia Association of Town and Village Councils, by rebuking the minister and telling her, words to the effect, that when something good is happening, it should not be interfered with. The premier’s rebuke made front-page headlines in the Voice of St Lucia at the time.

The St Lucia Association of Town & Village Councils held a general meeting every year which was attended by all local council members around the island, and at a general meeting held in Gros Islet in 1978, the chairman tabled a Resolution which expressed support for the government’s declared intention to seek independence for the island.

The Resolution was unanimously adopted and forwarded to the government. Whilst the government delegation was in the United Kingdom holding talks with the British government regarding Independence for Saint Lucia, the chairman of the association received an urgent message from Henry Giraudy, who was a member of the Saint Lucia delegation at the talks, requesting that a copy of the Resolution be forwarded to him as quickly as possible; it was then that the importance of that Resolution was realised.

Early in 1979, a delegation representing local government councils in Trinidad and Tobago travelled to Saint Lucia and held talks with the chairman of the St Lucia Association of Town and Village Councils regarding the formation of a regional organisation. Later that same year, the West Indies Association of Local Government Authorities was formed with St Lucia as a founding member and the chairman of the St Lucia Association serving as one of the two joint-presidents. The other joint-President was a Local Government official from Trinidad and Tobago.

On assuming office as minister of local government 1992,  Stephenson King, indicated his intention to broaden the role and functions of local government councils in Saint Lucia with a view to giving them greater responsibility in managing the affairs of the towns and villages.

In this regard, the minister consulted with the former chairman of the Vieux Fort Town Council/ former chairman of the St Lucia Association of Town and Village Councils, who advised him on the way forward. His advice to the minister included the creation of the post of “Director of Local Government,” a senior position in the ministry of local government that exists to this day.