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DE RUEHWN #2248/01 3611333
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P 271333Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3965
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 002248 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR ASEC ST XL
SUBJECT: NEW ST. LUCIAN CABINET: MOSTLY QUALIFIED, BUT... 
 
REF: BRIDGETOWN 2202 
 
Classified By: DCM Mary Ellen T. Gilroy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Sir John Compton's new cabinet 
was sworn in on December 19.  Although the UWP picked 
appropriately prepared candidates for most ministries, it 
seems the Foreign Minister and Minister for Home Affairs and 
National Security are surpringly inexperienced for their 
positions.  Arguably, these two ministries will prove most 
crucial in U.S.-St. Lucian relations.  Also, Home Affairs, 
with its authority over the police and security forces, will 
prove key in preparations for Cricket World Cup and curbing 
the rising crime problem.  It is likely that these two 
ministers are placeholders and that PM Compton will prove the 
prime actor behind these ministries.  See paragraphs 4, 5, 
and 16 for details on these two appointments.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) On December 19, the newly elected United Workers Party 
(UWP) government swore in its cabinet ministers, completing 
the new government's formation.  The new cabinet includes all 
11 UWP members of Parliament, three of the six defeated UWP 
candidates, and two new faces.  Sketches of the appointees 
appear below: 
 
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance:  Sir John Compton 
 
¶3. (C) PM Compton is no stranger to St. Lucian politics, 
having already served as Prime Minister for almost 30 years 
(1964-79, 1982-96).  In his previous administration, PM 
Compton was infamous for being an authoritarian manager of 
all aspects of government affairs.  Former UWP campaign 
manager and current editor for the Voice newspaper Victor 
Marquis stated that Compton's power as PM was the closest 
thing to "god-like" he had ever seen.  As an example, Marquis 
told of an incident when his home was to be auctioned because 
he was behind on payments.  Marquis mentioned this in a 
meeting with then-PM Compton, who picked up the phone and 
said, "Marquis's house is to be auctioned tomorrow.  Put a 
stop to it."  As a result, Marquis still lives in that house 
today.  There is no evidence that PM Compton's management 
style--characterized by some as dictatorial and 
micromanaging--will be any different in this current 
incarnation. 
 
Minister for External Affairs, International Financial 
Services, Information, and Broadcasting:  Rufus Bousquet 
 
¶4. (C) Bousquet served in Parliament from 1992-97 and as a 
junior minister at the Ministry of Trade during that period. 
He has business niches in the tourism and financial services 
sectors.  However, it does not appear that he has any 
experience that would qualify him to be Foreign Minister. 
Prior to the elections, UWP candidate Stephenson King 
commented that, if victorious, Compton would likely serve as 
PM, Finance Minister, and Foreign Minister.  It is possible 
that Bousquet is a puppet minister with PM Compton 
controlling the strings.  Senator Guy Mayers, a major player 
in the UWP, admitted that he did not know Bousquet's 
background and that the decision to appoint him to External 
Affairs was, "a matter of finding somewhere he can serve." 
 
Minister for Home Affairs and National Security:  Dr. Keith 
Mondesir 
 
¶5. (C) Mondesir was an optometrist in Canada for 22 years, 
but was charged with violating the Personal Health 
Information Act when he sold contact information for almost 
16,000 patients to LensCrafters International.  (NOTE: This 
information is a matter of Canadian public record and 
available on the Internet.  End Note.)  He appears to have no 
background in national security or police matters.  When the 
new Minister for Social Transformation "Spider" Montoute 
informed PolOff of Mondesir's appointment to the Home 
Affairs, which directs the police and security forces, he 
also stated that Compton will be watching this ministry very 
closely.  Like Bousquet, it seems Mondesir may be a puppet 
minister under Compton's control.  This is surprising given 
that the need to curb crime was one of the UWP's chief 
campaign messages. 
 
Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal, and Local Government: 
Richard Frederick 
 
¶6. (C) Speculation abounded as to where Frederick might wind 
up, particularly given his history as a police officer and 
lawyer, his ties to drug traffickers, and his March 2006 
by-election victory revitalizing the UWP.  His appointment to 
this ministry surprised many who were expecting Frederick 
would serve as Attorney General or Minister for Home Affairs 
and National Security.  On December 15, four days after the 
election, Frederick stated on television that he had asked 
for Home Affairs, but was told he deserved something more 
challenging.  PM Compton, in a December 19 television 
appearance, stated that Frederick's ministry will play an 
important role in reducing crime because the urban slums are 
an "incubator for crime."  More on Frederick will be reported 
in septel. 
 
Minister for Social Transformation, Human Services, Family 
Affairs, Youth, and Sports:  Lenard "Spider" Montoute 
 
¶7. (U) As mentioned in reftel, Montoute, 44, is a 
U.S.-educated athlete now quickly rising in the St. Lucia 
political scene.  During the campaign, Montoute was appointed 
a deputy party leader and his exemplary performance points to 
his leadership potential in the UWP.  He is likely to 
function as Deputy Prime Minister, but to the best of our 
understanding has not yet been officially named DPM. 
Montoute is known universally by his nickname Spider; he 
legally changed his name so it could appear on the 2006 
ballot as "Lenard Spider Montoute."  It is rumored that he 
lost votes in 2001 when voters could not find "Spider" on the 
ballot. 
 
Minister for Health and Labour Relations:  Dr. Stephenson King 
 
¶8. (U) Dr. King has previously served two terms in Parliament 
and as Minister for Health in the previous UWP administration. 
 
Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries:  Ezechiel 
Joseph 
 
¶9. (U) Joseph is a new to politics, with this election being 
his first contested.  However, he is an expert in 
agriculture, having worked in the Ministry of Agriculture for 
20 years and recently as a lecturer at the Sir Arthur Lewis 
Community College. 
 
Minister for Education and Culture:  Arsene James 
 
¶10. (U) James ran unsuccessfully for Parliament in 1997, but 
won in 2001 as an opposition member of Parliament (MP).  He 
is a career educator with a degree in law. 
 
Minister for Communications, Works, Transport, and Public 
Utilities:  Guy Joseph 
 
¶11. (U) Joseph was a natural for this position, having served 
as President of the National Council on Public Transport and 
CEO and Director of the Public Transport Service Corporation. 
 
Minister for Trade, Industry, and Commerce:  Senator Guy 
Mayers 
 
¶12. (U) Mayers ran against previous Commerce and Tourism 
Minister Phillip Pierre, but lost.  Now he has been appointed 
Senator in order to serve as Minister of Commerce.  He served 
two terms as president of the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce 
and is the managing director of Mayers Printing, which owns 
the Mirror newspaper. 
 
Minister for Economic Affairs and Economic Planning, National 
Development, and Public Service:  Senator Ausbert D'Auvergne 
 
¶13. (U) D'Auvergne served as the permanent secretary for 
Planning and Development under the previous UWP 
administration.  Multiple sources have said he did an 
excellent job in that position, with one of the current 
ministers calling him the "Super PS" and Compton's right-hand 
man at the time.  He also was the founding member of the now 
defunct National Democratic Movement (NDM) party. 
 
Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation:  Senator Allen 
Chastanet 
 
¶14. (SBU) Chastanet has been working as the second vice 
president and chairman of the marketing committee of the St. 
Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association.  He is also owner and 
director of a popular St. Lucian resort, former 
vice-president of Air Jamaica, and a board member of the ICC 
Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Committee.  He completed 
his undergraduate studies at Quebec's Bishop's University and 
earned a master's degree in banking at the American 
University in Washington, D.C.  As the new Tourism Minister, 
Chastanet will assume previous Tourism Minister Pierre's role 
as chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.  Chastanet 
has been a long-time contact of the Embassy. 
 
And Four Junior Ministerships 
 
¶15. (U) In addition to the 11 ministers, the UWP appointed 
four junior ministers to the cabinet.  Senator Tessa Mangal, 
who unsuccessfully competed in the election, is junior 
minister to the Ministry of Social Transformation.  Mangal 
worked as a teacher and tour guide, and then left for England 
to study law at the Universities of Wolverhampton and 
Northumbria.  She has also previously served in the Senate. 
Senator Gaspard Charlemagne, who also failed to win his seat, 
has been appointed as junior minister to the Ministry of 
Education.  This is appropriate as he served over 40 years as 
an educator and retired as Chief Education Officer.  Marcus 
Nicholas, the new junior minister to the Ministry of 
Agriculture, is beginning his third term as an MP.  A 
pre-election issue of the Star newspaper commented, "His 
stint as Leader of the Opposition has been dismal."  Finally, 
MP Edmund Estephane is junior minister to the Ministry of 
Commerce.  Estephane was a virtual unknown prior to the 
election, never having run for office previously.  Prior to 
politics, Estephane was a teacher, a national athlete, and a 
1990s track star at San Diego State University.  He first got 
involved with politics through D'Auvergne's NDM. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶16. (C) Generally, PM Compton and his UWP have chosen 
candidates with appropriate experience to head each ministry. 
 The two exceptions, however, appear to be the ministries 
most important for U.S. interests:  External Affairs and Home 
Affairs/National Security.    Post is particulary concerned 
that neophyte Home Affairs Minister Mondesir will have 
primary responsiblity for the security forces, including the 
police, during the March-April 2007 Cricket World Cup.  (St. 
Lucia is scheduled to host multiple games, including the 
semi-finals.)  It seems that Compton has appointed men with 
no relevant experience to conduct foreign policy and national 
security so that he can exercise maximum authority over these 
matters. 
OURISMAN