Castries, St Lucia — The Lucian People’s Movement (LPM) has issued an appeal to the citizens of Saint Lucia to engage in a national conversation that focuses on identifying alternate and renewable energy sources on the island.
“At a time when most African nations and other developing countries are seeking to lessen their dependence on gas through the exploration of the use of biofuels and solar energy, as well as the production of electricity by hydroelectric generators, we must ensure that, as Saint Lucians, we are not locked out of an important global conversation and trend in favour of producing non-oil energy,” the LPM said in a statement.
The LPM) has declined to endorse the opposition United Workers Party’s (UWP) planned march on Thursday, January 29, 2015, to demand a gasoline price reduction and has described the UWP’s decision as an opportunistic adventure designed to distract and mislead.
However, the government of Saint Lucia is not without blame, the LPM said.
“The government’s callous disregard for and the denial of the extent to which Saint Lucians are currently hurting have not only demoralised the spirit of the people but may also have created an avenue enabling vulture organisations, such as the UWP, to capitalise on the politics of gas, while failing to prove that they would have done a better job of managing the situation had they been in office today,” the LPM said.
The LPM therefore argued that, even if the government should accede to the UWP’s demand for a further reduction in the cost of a gallon of gasoline, this would still fail to address the central problem — finding a way effectively to reduce Saint Lucia’s overdependence on gasoline and other fuel by-products before the next fuel price adjustment on April 5, 2015.
“Saint Lucians must know how to say no to politicians who seek to place their political ambitions ahead of the country’s national interest, yet are unwilling to offer a comprehensive development plan for the country or a set of ideas geared towards ending our dependence on gas, improving our economy, and addressing the alarming rate of unemployment in our country,” the LPM concluded.