Bousquet Recognised By Lucians In New York

New York group names Rufus Man of Year!
December 29, 2008 by Star-Publishing

A group of St Lucians who operate the New York-based website St LuciaWeekly.com, has chosen Choiseul MP Rufus Bousquet as their person of the year 2008. The website explains that when choosing their person of the year they looked for an individual who had had the most impact on St Lucians at home and abroad.
“In selecting our person of the year we didn’t seek someone we always agreed with,” stated the website. “Instead, our primary criterion was one who generated tremendous public interest for better or for worse. We made an extreme effort to try to name a non-politician and hence, cricketer extraordinaire Darren Sammy leaped into our top five. However, it was hard to make the argument for Sammy’s impact on St Lucians worldwide. Secondary to that, many St Lucians are still not aware of Sammy’s accomplishments or even who he is.” So why Rufus Bousquet?
The website explains: “He was fired by Sir John Compton, scorned by an unforgiving public, vilified by a lurking opposition, scolded by the media for past deeds and despised by colleagues, yet the man still got exactly what he demanded: a key ministerial appointment and to see the back of Ausbert d’Auvergne as he left his ministry. It’s strongly debated whether or not Stephenson King would have been the current prime minister if Rufus did not get what he wanted. And in getting what he wanted he got the very essential ministry of trade and investment (even more critical in this economic environment).”
The website also suggests that “out of all the current ministers Rufus Bousquet continues to show the most loyalty and respect to the current PM by briefing him immediately upon returning from overseas missions unlike the others who may send a report days later.” “Think what you may about Rufus, but it is almost factual that he commanded our attention, was the star in our conversations, and impacted our lives in 2008. Tantamount to that fact, the man simply personifies tenacity.”
Readers will not soon forget that Rufus Bousquet was at the center of a storm earlier this year when it seemed the Stephenson King government would live or die, dependent on what Mr Bousquet did or did not do. At the time the Choiseul MP and Dennery north MP Marcus Nicholas had withdrawn support for prime minister King based on his decision not to dismiss Ausbert d’Auvergne as Minister for Economic Affairs. Three other ministers stood ready to support Bousquet. However, following secret negotiations the prime minister announced d’Auvergne’s resignation, By reliable account Mr King and his Cabinet later met at the prime minister’s residence at which time the prime minister agreed to return to Rufus Bousquet the portfolios that had been controversially taken away from him by a terminally ill prime minister Compton. And now the popular expectation is that more changes are in store for Mr Bousquet in the new year.
One response to the website’s choice for person of the year came from an Adolphus Beckles who claimed to have grown up with Bousquet on Cedars Road. Stated Beckles: “. . . my recollection is that he was a person of few words and great personal goals. Rufus was not the people’s choice in that era but he gained the respect and popularity as a direct result of the prominence of his family.Today, he has accomplished many goals by his efforts to endure, his determination and tenacity to acquire his heart’s desires, including the continuation of the political legacy of his father JMD Bousquet. This is the legacy that I know and I’ve witnessed it unfold.” The STAR’s highly anticipated person of the year 2008 announcement will come on January 26, 2009 so keep voting on our website at http://www.stluciastar.com/.

Reprinted from the December 29,2008 issue of The Star Newspaper