Sir Louis ready to call it a day

Deputy Prime Minister Sir Louis Straker has announced his intention to quit active politics and this was a main talking point at the opening of the waterfront at Layou in his Central Leeward constituency.

“The problem with politicians (is) they don’t know when to quit,” Sir Louis declared at the official opening of the near $6 million project.{{more}}

He expressed confidence that “there are others, who would come,” and he stated that “the ULP has laid down a bench mark in Central Leeward that would be hard to match, far less surpass.”

In perhaps a farewell speech, Sir Louis recounted his efforts, and accomplishments in that constituency.

He traced his desire to do something about the Layou Waterfront since 1995 and boasted of his fulfillment of the venture as he addressed the official opening.

He seems to have endeared himself so admirably with the constituency, that some supporters do not want him to leave.

While he made his presentation last Monday afternoon, sections of the crowd begged him to stay.

“I know you are going to vote for a ULP candidate when I leave,” Sir Louis predicted.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves was generous in praise for his deputy political leader and deputy prime minister.

“He has been doing exceptionally well. He is going to be under intense pressure to retire,” Dr Gonsalves pointed out.

“I know you are going to say, at least one more term,” he uttered.

Dr Gonsalves made it plain that he was not getting into Central Leeward’s affairs.

“I am not interfering with your decision. I respect it. I am not getting involved in that,” Dr Gonsalves stated.

He expressed the view however that whatever Sir Louis’ action was, “Central Leeward would be in the ULP column when the next general elections results are announced.

Senator Julian Francis, the Unity Labour Party’s general secretary, stated that plans for Sir Louis’ replacement had not been put on the table.

“We have a strategy,” Francis indicated.

He anticipates that as the time for the staging of the next poll nears, focus on a candidate would be placed more directly on the agenda.

“We have a candidate selection process,” Francis pointed out.

The ULP staged a retreat earlier in September, and reports following that event are that there would a new slate for the next general elections. The party did not spell out who would be replaced.