As St. Lucia’s 2026 general election race intensifies, former expatriate Elwin St. Rose has officially declared his candidacy as an independent for the Anse La Raye/Canaries seat. The announcement came during Wednesday evening’s Newsmaker Live program, where St. Rose detailed the circumstances that led him to break away from the United Workers Party (UWP).
According to St. Rose, he initially intended to contest the seat under the UWP banner and followed the party’s outlined selection process. However, he now claims that the process was a facade, alleging that UWP leaders deliberately misled him. St. Rose recounted a meeting with UWP Chairman Therold Prudent, Deputy Leader Guy Joseph, and Party Leader Allen Chastanet, where he was informed that the political outfit had already decided to retain former MP Dominic Fedee as their candidate for the constituency.
St. Rose expressed frustration, stating that despite engaging in what he believed was a fair process, the party had preselected Fedee from the start. He further lamented the financial loss he incurred, pointing out that the UWP’s candidate selection process included a non-refundable fee of $500, which he believes was accepted by the party under false pretense.
Meanwhile, the UWP’s Anse La Raye constituency chairperson Andre Lansiquot has refuted St. Rose’s claims, offering a different version of events. His response suggests that the controversy surrounding St. Rose’s candidacy may not be as clear-cut as the political hopeful portrays. In expressing shock and surprise at St Rose’s position, the branch chairman insists that he oversaw the process and that the branch had done everything possible to ensure inclusivity for St Rose, even though he had not met all the candidate eligibility requirements.
“Mr St Rose would be aware the the process started from the time you applied. As a matter of fact we bent over backwards to accommodate Mr St Rose, because at the point where he was interested in running, he was not a member of the branch. The party policy stipulates that you must be a member for a certain duration, before you can actually put your hat in the race. But we agreed that we would forego all of that, in the interest of democracy” Lansiquot asserted.
With his independent candidacy now confirmed, the political landscape in Anse La Raye/Canaries is set for a three man contest, as St. Rose positions himself as an alternative to both the ruling St Lucia Labour party and the opposition.
