When Philip J. Pierre took office in July 2021, he looked the nation in the eye and made a defining promise:
St. Jude Hospital will be delivered. Not patched up. Not half-done. Not talked about.
Delivered.
Fast-forward 4 years and 5 months later, instead of presenting a fully functional hospital ready to accept patients, the Prime Minister called a snap election — almost a full year early — and handed over what is essentially a completed building, with the critical step of commissioning pushed into the future.
It’s a political move that has left many Saint Lucians scratching their heads. The question practically asks itself:
Why rush to elections if you are so close to finishing the job?
Why not stay the full term, commission St. Jude properly, and run on a completed promise?
Something about this timing… doesn’t sit right.
Let’s dig deeper.
1. The Building vs. The Hospital: A Subtle but Powerful Distinction
Politically, handing over a building is far more convenient than handing over a hospital. A building is a photo op. A ribbon-cutting moment. A shiny visual for campaign posters.
But a commissioned hospital?
That requires:
- staffing
- equipment installation
- safety certification
- operational readiness
- completion of minor but essential systems
- and accountability for any delays
All of these can be scrutinized. All of these can become weaknesses.
So instead, the country got the easier version — the building without the burden of operational responsibility.
2. The Early Election: Political Strategy or Strategic Avoidance?
Let’s be honest:
Calling an early election is never a coincidence. It is always a calculation.
Here are three likely motivations:
A. Strike While the Optics Look Good
A gleaming building at St. Jude, completed by Rayneau Gajadhar and CIE, offers strong visuals for the campaign trail. It allows the government to say:
“We delivered what the last administration couldn’t.”
Even if the use of the building is still months away.
B. Avoid the Risk of Commissioning Delays
Commissioning a hospital is complex. If something dragged beyond 2025 or ran into technical hurdles, it would hand the Opposition a perfect election weapon.
By calling early elections, the PM avoids that risk altogether.
C. Control the Narrative Before Economic Pressures Deepen
Cost of living, fuel prices, electricity frustration, and social tension have been building. Heading into 2026 with these issues unresolved could hurt the government far more than going now — with a symbolic victory in their hands.
3. Was an Early Election Necessary?
Constitutionally, no.
The current term legally runs until September 2026. That means:
- 10 more months to finalize St. Jude
- 10 more months to commission it
- 10 more months to walk into elections with a ribbon cut, staff hired, and the South finally seeing services restored
Instead, the country is being asked to elect a government before the job is done.
If the goal was truly to complete St. Jude fully, time was on their side.
So why give the people a building instead of a functioning hospital?
4. The Rat That Many Saint Lucians Smell
Saint Lucians are not naïve. Across communities, WhatsApp chats, radio talk shows, and social media timelines, the sentiment is building:
“Something not adding up.”
A few of the red flags the public is raising:
- If the hospital was so close to commissioning, why not finish it?
- Why call an early election when you are months away from your biggest political victory?
- Is the government avoiding something behind the scenes — technical reports, readiness issues, approval delays, internal conflicts?
- Was the handover timed for votes, not health care?
People are voicing what many are thinking:
The timing feels more political than patriotic.
5. The Bigger Question: What Do Saint Lucians Deserve?
Saint Lucians have waited 15 long years for a proper hospital in the South.
Fifteen years of pain, distrust, and political ping-pong.
They deserve not only a building.
Not only a handover ceremony.
Not only a campaign talking point.
They deserve a fully functioning hospital, complete, commissioned, staffed, and serving the people.
Not promises of “later.”
Not “after elections.”
Not “coming soon.”
Final Word: A Political Masterstroke or a Strategic Escape?
Calling early elections while handing over an incomplete hospital opens up a deep national conversation about accountability, priorities, and political timing.
Whether this decision was:
- a bold calculated move,
- a defensive maneuver,
- or a way to avoid the pressure of full commissioning…
…one thing is clear:
Saint Lucians will judge whether they received a hospital or just a headline.
And in this election, optics may not be enough.
.png)
.png)
.png)
