Castries, Saint Lucia – Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet has strongly denied allegations made by the ruling Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) that he acted disrespectfully at a church event hosted by Archbishop Gabriel Malzaire.
The controversy stems from a press release issued by SLP’s Communications Director, Lisa Jawahir, in which she accused Chastanet of walking out of the event in a manner she described as characteristic of his “growing reputation”. Jawahir also referenced previous instances where the Opposition Leader had left Parliamentary proceedings in protest to support her claim.
However, Chastanet addressed the aspersions during a live United Workers Party (UWP) event on Sunday night, providing a different account of what transpired.
According to Chastanet, he extended peace greetings to all government officials present, but Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre declined to shake his hand. Footage from the event, which has been widely circulated online, appears to support his claim.
Chastanet further clarified that opposition members had not been informed in advance about the breakfast gathering that followed the service. Nonetheless, he and his colleagues accepted the invitation and stayed. He advised his team to engage with government officials, but he claimed their efforts were met with resistance.
Before leaving, Chastanet noted that he observed Commerce Minister Emma Hippolyte had departed from the event, after which he also left to join a group of women who had been waiting for them at a restaurant for breakfast. He insists that his departure was not in protest, nor was it intended to be disrespectful.
“I sincerely appreciate the Archbishop’s efforts to bring both political sides together,” Chastanet stated, dismissing the SLP’s claims as misleading.
Since the release of the SLP’s statement, other opposition figures have come forward rejecting the SLP’s narrative. Among them is Lionel Ellis, chairperson of the Babonneau UWP constituency group, who recounted a similar experience at the event.
Ellis claimed that when he attempted to exchange the sign of peace with Minister for Infrastructure Stephenson King, the minister refused to shake his hand.
“That was a shock to me,” Ellis remarked. “Here is Stephenson King, who never misses church and sits in the front row, two minutes later stretching out his tongue to receive Holy Communion from the same Archbishop, but when a fellow Saint Lucian—who isn’t Catholic but came to worship—offers him the sign of peace, he refuses to take his hand.”
Former Cabinet Minister Lenard “Spider” Montoute also condemned what he described as the Labour Party’s divisive actions. In a statement on Facebook, Montoute criticized the government for what he sees as hypocrisy and a lack of true commitment to unity.
The political fallout from the event has reignited debate over the growing divide between the country’s two major political parties, with both sides accusing the other of failing to promote civility and national unity.
