VZCZCXYZ0004
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWN #0525/01 1241854
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 041854Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4634
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0271
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI PRIORITY 0130
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J2 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEHCV/USDAO CARACAS VE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000525 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR-COLLINS AND EAP/CM AND TC 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EAID ETRD CH TX ST XL
SUBJECT: (C) ST. LUCIA:  TAIWAN DECISION MAY WEAKEN COMPTON 
 
REF: A. BRIDGETOWN 488 
 
     ¶B. BRIDGETOWN 464 
     ¶C. BRIDGETOWN 104 
     ¶D. BRIDGETOWN 49 
 
Classified By: DCM Mary Ellen T. Gilroy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  Foreign Minister Rufus Bousquet has emerged 
as the head of a rival faction set on forcing Prime Minister 
Sir John Compton to retire from politics and leave FM 
Bousquet in charge.  If Compton's departure is the outcome of 
current infighting in the five-month-old government, 
suspected money launderer Richard Fredrick will likely be 
elevated to the Deputy Prime Minister position.  A split 
among cabinet members over the decision to diplomatically 
recognize Taiwan over China is the current catalyst for this 
unexpected development.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------------------------- 
MOVING BEHIND COMPTON'S BACK 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On April 30, St. Lucia's Foreign Minister Rufus 
Bousquet joined Taiwan's Foreign Minister James C.F. Huang in 
signing a joint communiquQ reestablishing diplomatic 
relations between St. Lucia and Taiwan.  However, this 
ceremony took place without Prime Minister Sir John Compton's 
permission.  Reliable sources have informed PolOff that the 
Taiwan decision signifies the first great split in the 
recently elected United Workers Party (UWP) administration. 
 
¶3. (C) According to Victor Marquis, editor of the Voice, a 
former UWP campaign manager, public relations officer and 
close friend to FM Bousquet, PM Compton was negotiating a new 
financial agreement to stay with China while FM Bousquet 
negotiated reestablishing ties with Taiwan.  In exchange for 
diplomatic relations, Taiwan reportedly promised Bousquet an 
ECD 300 million (USD 120 million) support package, including 
"personal assistance" to each elected representative. 
 
¶4. (C) Marquis described PM Compton's plan to announce in an 
April 30 televised address that St. Lucia would stay with 
China and that FM Bousquet was fired.  It is unclear if 
Compton made his decision to continue relations with China 
before or after Bousquet's April 24 announcement that St. 
Lucia would diplomatically recognize Taiwan. 
 
¶5. (C) Trumping PM Compton's planned address, FM Bousquet 
called a press conference for the morning of April 30 and 
signed the communiquQ with Taiwan without PM Compton's 
approval.  Bousquet did, however, gain the documented support 
of seven of the UWP members of parliament (MPs) before taking 
this action.  Bousquet then faced PM Compton in a cabinet 
meeting with the backing of his seven colleagues, leaving 
only Stephenson King and Lenard Montoute siding with PM 
Compton.  Bousquet allegedly confronted Compton in this 
meeting, telling the PM it was time for him to go. 
 
------------------------- 
THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM 
------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Compton left for the United States on May 1, his 
birthday, for health reasons.  He will return on May 5. 
Bousquet departed for the United States on May 3 to meet with 
private investors and is expected to return on May 7. 
Compton tasked Bousquet to attend the Caribbean Community 
(CARICOM) Tenth Meeting of the Council for Foreign and 
Community Relations (COFCOR) in Belize, for which he will 
depart May 8 or 9 and return May 12.  Unless these plans 
shift, Compton will have time upon his return to 
counter-maneuver against Bousquet in the latter's absence 
from St. Lucia. 
 
¶7. (C) Marquis revealed that Bousquet has a possible plan to 
buy off Compton using money from the Taiwan package.  This 
plan involves Compton taking an extended leave for health 
reasons and then finally retiring, leaving Bousquet as prime 
minister.  If Bousquet is successful, Minister of Housing 
Richard Fredrick, suspected money launderer and supporter of 
narcotraffickers, may well be appointed deputy prime minister. 
 
---------------- 
WORD GETTING OUT 
---------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Philip J. Pierre, deputy political leader of the 
opposition St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP), made a more cautious 
assessment of the political turmoil.  Pierre agreed that the 
Taiwan decision signaled the first split in the current 
administration.  He observed that Compton, King, and Montoute 
were not at the Taiwan communiquQ signing, but that all the 
other MPs attended.  Pierre also foresaw "interesting times 
ahead" as a result of the instability now surfacing. 
However, Pierre predicted that the UWP will eventually 
resolve the current row, although the party may split again 
over future issues. 
 
¶9. (C) In response to allegations in the press that the 
Taiwan issue has caused a split in St. Lucia's cabinet, 
Acting Prime Minister Stephenson King is scheduled to make a 
statement on May 4 to quell these rumors.  According to 
Commerce Minister Guy Mayers, the rumors are completely false 
and the cabinet is unified behind the decision to renew ties 
with Taiwan.  As far as post knows, the PRC mission has not 
budged from St. Lucia, nor has had any official communication 
with the St. Lucian Foreign Ministry, since the April 30 
press conference.  It is possible that the mission is waiting 
for a resolution of the tug-of-war within the ruling party. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) To date, PM Sir John Compton has been the dominant 
politician in St. Lucia's short history, having served as 
Prime Minister for 15 of St. Lucia's 28 years of 
independence.  If anyone can survive an internal putsch, it 
is probably Compton.  However, his advanced age and the 
contempt in which the majority of cabinet members hold 
Compton's most trusted confidant, Senator Ausbert d'Auvergne 
(ref B), are working against him.  If Bousquet successfully 
usurps power, he will likely be seen as a savvy operator.  He 
remains, however, an inexperienced leader with a questionable 
past (ref C).  The greater concern, however, would be 
newcomer Fredrick's predicted rise to be deputy prime 
minister.  His ties to money laundering and narcotraffickers 
are a natural concern for post (ref D).  Even if Bousquet's 
maneuvering is unsuccessful, his ability to inspire a 
majority of the ruling party MPs to stand against PM Compton 
illustrates a significant erosion in the power of a man 
accustomed to ruling single-handedly. 
OURISMAN