Former Senate President Stanley Felix is pushing back against claims that his surprise decision to run as an Independent candidate in Castries Central is a retaliation against the government for refusing to settle a legal dispute with him.
Felix, who was dismissed as President of the Senate after he was arrested and charged under Section 376 of the Criminal Code, charges that were later thrown out, had reportedly sought a settlement in the region of Five hundred thousand dollars from the government following his removal. That request, according to sources, was rejected.
Now, the former Housing Minister, former Senator, and two-time Castries Central candidate for the Saint Lucia Labour Party is stepping back into the political arena as an Independent. Felix previously lost the seat to Richard Frederick and later to Sarah Flood-Beaubrun. With his return to the ballot as an Independent, questions have erupted: Is this a case of political payback? Or simply unfinished business?
Felix insists his candidacy has nothing to do with the breakdown in negotiations.
Speaking in an interview, he explained that discussions over a potential settlement were ongoing long before he made his political announcement. “It was less than that. Another amount was arrived at after the very court we were going before had advised that we enter into negotiations to review settling the matter,” Felix said. “And then the government side said, okay, they would engage in negotiations. And then they came back and said, no, they want to go to trial.”
He stressed that the situation had no bearing on his decision to contest the Castries Central seat.
“But this has nothing to do with me entering the race. The process had started before I actually made my announcement. And it has nothing to do with that. Because the matter is still there,” Felix stated.
His comments, however, have not stopped political observers from speculating that Felix’s Independent run could split the Labour vote in a constituency already known for tight races. Others argue it signals deeper fractures within the SLP’s internal machinery, especially after Felix, once a loyal stalwart, was passed over for another attempt at reclaiming the seat under the party’s banner.
With Castries Central now set for a potentially three-way battle, Felix enters the contest with both name recognition and political baggage. Whether voters view him as a principled Independent or a disgruntled former insider remains to be seen.
What’s clear is that his return has already reshaped the political conversation, and the race in Castries Central just got a lot more complicated.
