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INFO RUEAORD/CUSTOMS CARIBBEAN ATTACHE MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000749 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR-COLLINS 
ADDIS ABABA FOR ANTHONY FISHER 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
DOJ FOR OIA-ANDREW GENTEIN 
DHS/ICE FOR MICHAEL LAPORE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR AORC OVIP KSUM KJUS KTIA ST XL
SUBJECT: ST. LUCIA CABINET RESHUFFLE, A STEP TOWARD A NEW 
PRIME MINISTER 
 
REF: A. BRIDGETOWN 669 
     ¶B. BRIDGETOWN 49 
 
Classified By: CDA Mary Ellen T. Gilroy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  On June 6, St. Lucia Prime Minister Sir John 
Compton reshuffled his cabinet, firing Foreign Minister Rufus 
Bousquet, demoting Home Affairs Minister Keith Mondesir, and 
giving their portfolios to Acting Prime Minister Stephenson 
King.  Given Compton's health problems, it is widely believed 
that this is the first step toward his retirement that could 
occur around the start of this month's Caribbean Conference 
in Washington.  With King, Minister for Social Transformation 
Lenard Montoute, and Housing Minister Richard Fredrick as 
possible successors, it is uncertain who will head the St. 
Lucian delegation at the Washington Conference; but for the 
moment, official St. Lucian communication indicates King as 
leading the delegation.  The Comptroller of Customs may still 
charge Fredrick with customs fraud.  This could impede 
Fredrick's aspirations to the top job, but the case hinges on 
evidence requested through the U.S.-St. Lucia Mutual Legal 
Assistance Treaty that may arrive too late to make a 
difference in the prime minister race.  END SUMMARY. 
 
BOUSQUET OUT, MONDESIR DEMOTED, KING OVERWHELMED 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2. (U) On June 6, Prime Minister Sir John Compton fired 
Foreign Minister Rufus Bousquet as part of a cabinet 
reshuffle.  This reshuffle may be the first step toward PM 
Compton's retirement due to health reasons.  Changes in the 
cabinet are as follows: 
 
-- Compton continues to serve as prime minister, but retains 
no other portfolios. 
 
-- Stephenson King will continue to serve as Acting Prime 
Minister and now heads a superministry of Finance (including 
International Financial Services), External Affairs, Home 
Affairs, National Security, Labour, and Information and 
Broadcasting.  He is no longer Minister for Health. 
 
-- FM Bousquet was fired and no longer serves in the cabinet. 
 He continues to sit as a member of parliament. 
 
-- Keith Mondesir was demoted and lost the Home Affairs and 
National Security portfolios.  He is now Minister for 
Physical Planning and National Mobilization. 
 
-- Edmund Estephane is the new Minister for Health. 
 
-- Tessa Mangal now serves as a junior minister under King, 
with responsibility for Information and Broadcasting. 
 
-- All other appointments remain unchanged, including Richard 
Fredrick as Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal, and Local 
Government. 
 
FREDRICK MAY LEAD A THREE-WAY RACE 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Minister for Social Transformation, Lenard "Spider" 
Montoute, told PolOff on June 6 that PM Compton will likely 
retire "in two weeks."  Other sources have also reported this 
potential timeline.  According to Montoute, Compton will 
probably choose King as his successor, but King lacks cabinet 
support.  Another source confirmed this, stating that no one 
in the cabinet trusts King because he assisted Compton in 
planning the cabinet reshuffle without discussing the plans 
with other cabinet members. 
 
¶4. (C) Montoute also admitted that his chances of becoming 
prime minister have decreased significantly.  Montoute, who 
recently commanded considerable public support, made two 
crucial missteps while serving as Acting Prime Minister for a 
week early in June.  First, Montoute publicly stated that the 
cabinet requested Compton's medical records to determine how 
the government should move forward.  This statement made the 
 
cabinet appear disrespectful and overeager to oust Compton 
from power.  The statement also made Montoute look too 
ambitious.  Second, Montoute made a political blunder when he 
stated that whoever becomes prime minister should seek a 
fresh mandate from the people.  Knowing that an election 
would ensure victory for the opposition St. Lucia Labour 
Party (SLP), SLP leader and former Prime Minister Dr. Kenny 
Anthony quickly agreed publicly.  Montoute recanted his 
statement clarifying that he meant a new prime minister would 
eventually need to seek a new mandate.  However, these 
mistakes may be sufficient to end the short-term climb of 
this young politician. 
 
¶5. (C) If neither King nor Montoute gain the support of the 
cabinet, Fredrick, who is suspected of ties to 
narcotraffickers and money launderers, may be the only leader 
left standing.  Although recent public animosity against 
Fredrick's role in the cabinet coup temporarily dampened his 
political ambitions, Montoute said Fredrick is resurfacing in 
the leadership race.  Fredrick has kept a low public profile 
since the April 30 coup, and the public animosity against him 
is slowly ebbing away.  More importantly, he is maneuvering 
within the party, according to Montoute.  Fredrick is 
independently wealthy and spreads his wealth liberally to 
increase his support within the cabinet.  According to 
Embassy sources, Fredrick funded the campaigns of nearly all 
of the current cabinet members in the December 2006 elections. 
 
COMMENT:  WHO WILL MEET PRESIDENT BUSH? 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Although Compton seems to be behind the recent cabinet 
changes, there is little doubt in the minds of St. Lucians 
that Compton's retirement is imminent.  He made his first 
television appearance on June 4 and reportedly looked frail. 
Rumors of liver cancer have also surfaced.  After his trip to 
see Compton in New York, Montoute told PolOff that, having 
seen his mother suffer from cancer, he believed Compton to be 
suffering from cancer as well. 
 
¶7. (C) Little from this six-month United Workers Party 
administration has been predictable, and choosing a new prime 
minister will likely be no different.  Although Acting Prime 
Minister King is currently scheduled to attend the Caribbean 
Conference, it is just as possible that St. Lucia may appoint 
a new prime minister days before the Conference. 
 
COMMENT CONTINUED:  INHIBITING FREDRICK'S AMBITION 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶8. (C) Terence Leonard, Comptroller of Customs, still plans 
to charge Fredrick with customs evasion as soon as he 
receives evidence requested under the U.S.-St. Lucia Mutual 
Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) (ref A).  Although a 
successful conviction might merely result in a fine, Leonard 
hopes this would be enough to discredit Fredrick and block 
his rise to power.  Given Fredrick's suspected ties to known 
narcotraffickers and possible involvement in money 
laundering, his rise to power is worrisome to many observers 
(ref B).  According to the Office of International Affairs in 
the Department of Justice, the evidence requested under the 
MLAT will likely be delivered to St. Lucia by the end of 
June.  However, if Fredrick becomes prime minister before the 
end of June, the customs evasions case would likely be 
derailed. 
GILROY