Column: Chris Famous On Unity & More

[Opinion column written by MP Chris Famous]

“Life imitates art”

The Caribbean island of St. Lucia recently held their General Election. In the lead up to December 1st both parties released their manifestos. The St. Lucia Labour Party imagery showed a leader surrounded by a team. Conversely, and ironically, The United Workers Party visually depicted a one man show. 

The political landscape leading up to the December 1st poll provided a fascinating study in political strategy, particularly concerning team dynamics and public perception, heavily influenced by the visual narratives presented in the manifestos of the two major parties.

Unity vs. Vanity

The Incumbent Saint Lucia Labour Party [SLP] meticulously crafted an image of collective leadership. Their campaign imagery consistently depicted the party leader not as a singular savior, but as a central figure surrounded by a cohesive, experienced, and diverse team. This visual communication strategy subtly underscored themes of unity, collaboration, and shared responsibility—suggesting that the future of the nation rested on the competence of the group, not the charisma of an individual.

In stark contrast, the Opposition United Workers Party [UWP] adopted a ‘one-man show’ approach. Their campaign materials, advertisements, and public appearances were overwhelmingly centered on the personality, achievements, and vision of the party leader. This strategy aimed to project strength and decisive leadership, but in doing so, risked appearing insular, minimizing the contributions of other party members, and fueling a narrative of vanity.

The electorate ultimately cast its judgment on these divergent narratives. When the final ballots were tallied, the results delivered a landslide victory that echoed the visual rhetoric of the campaigns. The Saint Lucia Labour Party secured a commanding super-majority, winning 14 of the 17 available seats. The United Workers Party was reduced to a single representative in the new parliament. Which ironically was the Party Leader.

Success is predicated on projecting and embodying unity, competence, and collective strength. Conversely, a focus on personal vanity, individual cults of personality, and the marginalization of the team more often than not leads to political isolation and electoral failure. Saint Lucia’s election vividly demonstrated that the optics of collaboration translated directly into the reality of political power.

Moral of the story? To be successful in Caribbean / Westminster politics, it is about unity not vanity. In this case “Political Life imitated political art.”

- Chris Famous, MP for Constituency #11, Devonshire East

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