“In my daily interactions with the people of my home constituency of Castries South East, the call to serve at a higher level has grown and is now at a point where I believe it cannot be ignored any further. We are at a critical point in our country’s history where we cannot allow the UWP to regain control of this country. That is why I must take action now and make it my responsibility to serve the people of Saint Lucia in a different capacity. I know the road ahead will not be easy, but I am ready!” said Senator Lisa Jawahir, a prospective candidate for Castries South East for the Saint Lucia Labour Party.
Jawahir, the Labour Party’s current communications director and a Senator in the Philip J. Pierre Administration, is once more expressing her interest on winning the SLP’s endorsement for the Castries South East constituency, as expressed during a guest appearance on Stanley Lucien’s “What Makes You Mad” radio show.
Jawahir previously vied for the party’s endorsement alongside sitting MP, Joachim Henry and two others during the 2021 general election cycle. This time around, she says, she is readier than ever to contest the seat under a Labour Party ticket and return the seat to the SLP as the election clock draws nearer.
In an interview with iReport on the qualities that make her a good candidate this time around she said, “my mission has been to support the policies of the Philip J. Pierre-led administration and to defend and promote the SLP despite the fiery darts of the UWP geared towards my personality, character and credibility. I have stood firm, with grit, and never wavered. I speak of grit because I believe this skill is what sets me apart. I knew that although I possessed the communications skills, emotional intelligence, warm and friendly personality for the task, grit was most important and was the true test of my strength and success. It was this characteristic that propelled me to be the person I am today, never giving up and staying consistent.”
Jawahir cites her community involvement projects, humble beginnings and rootedness in the constituency’s culture as part of the reasons why she thinks she is best suited for the SLP’s endorsement. “I look back at my upbringing in the constituency, having come from a disenfranchised family, growing up in the Seventh Day Adventist church community and the contributions I made to the constituency at large, supporting youth, women, helping the sick and elderly and contributing to the educational advancement of persons of all ages. I marvel at how my experiences have brought me to a place where I can now, in return, help others who suffered the same challenges I did whilst growing up. Experiences that to this day, instill a great sense of humility and gratitude that I could never forget where I came from.”
A burning question for Labour Party supporters and political spectators alike is the Labour Party’s readiness to accept new candidates even when the incumbent is a sitting MP.
Jawahir explained that a major part of the SLP’s election process involves accepting expressions of interest from new persons. This “de-endorsement process”, as Jawahir describes it, is a core value of the party’s democracy to invite fresh minds and fresh perspectives. The Constitution of the SLP allows for persons from across Saint Lucia to state their interests to run for any seat including those with incumbents, “a quality that speaks to the democracy of the Labour Party’s candidate selection process and respect for the Constitution of Saint Lucia, allowing all citizens to participate freely in politics.”
Jawahir is confident that the Labour Party will be reelected in Castries South East as she highlighted the show of support at the SLP’s town hall meeting in the constituency on Tuesday February 4th at the Odsan Community Centre. “I can tell you, very confidently, that the Labour Party in Castries South East is here to stay.. When I saw the number of persons who came out to support the Party and our Prime Minister, this confirmed it for me because we were on fire.”
Reflecting on her political journey, Jawahir explained that she never envisioned herself making her dreams a reality. Now in a position to effect change, she says she will continue working to secure the Labour Party’s place in Castries South East.
“I never knew I would get here one day but whenever I had the opportunity to serve, I never backed down from it. So it’s really an opportunity for me to continue to present myself as a supporter of the Labour Party to continue to push the agenda of “Putting People First” and securing the victory and to ensure that Castries South East never returns to the hands of the United Workers Party.”
General elections are constitutionally due in 2026.
