The Saint Lucia Labour Party officially launched its 2025 election manifesto on Tuesday, presenting what its leaders described as a people-centred vision focused on opportunity, fairness, and cultural pride.
The launch featured presentations from Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, Deputy Political Leader Dr Ernest Hilaire, and Castries South East candidate Lisa Jawahir.
Prime Minister Pierre urged voters to take nothing for granted as election day approaches.
He appealed directly to citizens to show up on December 1. Pierre told supporters, “Do not stay home. Do not take this moment lightly. Do not leave your future up to chance.”
He repeated his central message throughout his address. “On Monday, election day, vote for stability. On Monday, vote for fairness. On Monday, vote for dignity. On Monday, vote for opportunity.”
He added, “Monday vote for trust, on Monday vote for responsible leadership, on Monday vote for continued progress, on Monday vote for a better future for your children, and most importantly on Monday vote for the Saint Lucia Labour Party.”
Pierre said the choice before voters is straightforward. “Vote for a government that puts people first. Vote for a government that puts people first. And if they do not like it, thank you very much my brothers and sisters.”
Deputy Leader Dr Ernest Hilaire echoed this message, emphasising that national development must touch the lives of every citizen.
“Development is meaningless if it leaves the people behind. Growth is hollow if it only benefits a few. Progress is weak if it cannot be felt in the lives of real people,” he stated.
Hilaire outlined major policy areas in the manifesto, explaining that investments in healthcare, education, youth, culture, tourism, agriculture, and public safety were fundamentally investments in people.
“Not because these are sectors, but because they represent people,” he said.
He called Saint Lucia’s cultural identity its greatest resource. “Our greatest treasure is our people, our creativity, our culture and our identity,” he said. “This manifesto celebrates that truth boldly.”
Hilaire said the manifesto commits to the establishment of a national museum, a new orange economy unit, increased resources for musicians, artists and cultural workers, expanded community tourism, reformed cultural agencies, and enhanced support for national festivals.
He explained the significance of these priorities, declaring, “Culture is not just entertainment. Culture is economics. Culture is empowerment. Culture is national pride. Culture is who we are.”
Castries South East candidate Lisa Jawahir underscored the manifesto’s emphasis on youth empowerment.
Speaking from her perspective as a young woman, she said, “I know what it feels like to fight for space, for opportunity, and for a seat at the table. And I want every young Saint Lucian listening tonight to hear me. This manifesto was written with you in mind. Youth, you are not a footprint. You are a priority.”
Jawahir detailed expanded opportunities in the youth economy, including grants, training, entrepreneurship support, creative industry pathways, agriculture incentives, and digital innovation programs.
“This manifesto gives us career opportunities in emerging sectors,” she said.
She also grounded her remarks in the reality faced by many families. “The mothers, the fathers, seniors, young people searching for direction, the workers trying to make ends meet, the families struggling to build a better life. This manifesto is for them. It is for us. It is for every community that has waited too long to be treated with fairness and respect.”
Jawahir said the government’s record under Pierre reflects genuine fairness. She noted that citizens had seen “relief for ordinary families, support for vulnerable citizens, opportunity for young people, improved access to community services, and investment in people’s lives, not just concrete and spectacle.”
She described housing and community infrastructure as central features of the manifesto. “It is more than building houses. It is about building security. It is about building stability and building pride,” she said.
According to Jawahir, the manifesto commits to expanding affordable housing for low and middle-income families, investing in residential upgrades for vulnerable communities, strengthening building standards, improving access to water and sanitary services, and increasing disaster-resilient community infrastructure.
As the election countdown continues, the SLP leadership framed the manifesto as a forward-looking document centred on fairness, opportunity, and national pride, and they urged voters to view December 1 as a decisive moment for the country’s future.