Caribbean News Now!

By Caribbean News Now contributor

CASTRIES, St Lucia -- Leader of the opposition United Workers Party (UWP), Stephenson King, has called on the government to explain the suspension of Saint Lucia’s voting rights at the United Nations.

The suspension apparently resulted from the non-payment by Saint Lucia of its UN dues for at least two years.

Saint Lucia’s UN Ambassador Menissa Rambally has since tried to blame the previous UWP administration for the non-payment, despite the current St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) government being in power for the last 15 months.

“Ms Rambally chose to ignore the historical fact that during the five year reign of the United Workers Party, between 2006 and 2011, at no time did the former UWP administration ever allow Saint Lucia’s contributions to be in arrears for more than two years, to affect Saint Lucia’s ability to utilize their voting rights at such an august body,” King said in response.

“What Ms Rambally should be explaining to the people of Saint Lucia; between herself and the Minister for Finance Dr Kenny Anthony, is: Which one of them dropped the ball concerning the payment of the UN contributions? Was it the Consulate which she oversees or was it the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance headed by the prime minister?” he continued.

According to King, in the first budget produced by the SLP administration, the current Minister for Finance reduced the budgetary allocations for the United Nations.

“May this be the reason why the current ambassador was unable to take care of business in New York thus creating a diplomatic embarrassment?” he asked.

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