CASTRIES, Saint Lucia, (Reuters) – St. Lucia’s conservative United Workers Party beat the incumbent Labour Party with promises of tax cuts and the resolution of a scandal over killings by the police that have hurt the image of the Caribbean nation, general election results showed on Monday.
Former Prime Minister Kenny Anthony conceded defeat and congratulated new Prime Minister Allen Chastanet on his victory in the June 6 vote after the opposition party won 11 seats to Labour’s six.
Chastanet is a businessman who previously served as tourism minister on the volcanic island nation, known for its steep, emerald-coloured hills and luxury resorts.
He promised to scrap an unpopular sales tax and tackle unemployment as well as repairing St. Lucia’s international relations after the United States withdrew aid over 12 killings by the police.
“We want to put together a tribunal as soon as possible to get the situation clarified so that we can move ahead,” Chastanet said.
He said the matter was a stain on St. Lucia’s name and needed to be dealt with as quickly as possible.
