Saint Lucia Deserves Better: Why Language Should Never Be a Weapon in Politics"

Recently on his weekly program “Can I Help You,” Minister Richard Frederick made a startling and frankly disappointing claim—that Allen Chastanet, the Leader of the Opposition, is unfit to be Prime Minister of Saint Lucia because he does not speak fluent Kweyol.

Yes, you read that right. In the middle of all the pressing national concerns—crime, unemployment, cost of living, education—our Minister chose to take aim at someone’s ability to speak a dialect.

Now, let’s make one thing clear: Saint Lucian Creole is a beautiful, important part of our heritage. It deserves respect, preservation, and promotion. But to weaponize it as a political litmus test? That is something else entirely. That is elitist. That is divisive. And it carries with it a subtle, yet unmistakable, tincture of racism.

Let’s call this what it is—small island politics dressed up as cultural pride.

To suggest that a Saint Lucian-born citizen who is legally, constitutionally, and democratically elected is “unfit” for leadership because of how he speaks—or doesn’t speak—a language is dangerous rhetoric. It creates an “us vs. them” mentality in a country that needs unity more than ever.

Should we now disqualify citizens who grew up abroad? Who speak English as their first language? Who look different, sound different, or come from different economic backgrounds?

This isn't just an attack on Allen Chastanet. It's a message—whether intentional or not—to every Saint Lucian who may not speak Kweyol fluently: you don’t belong, you’re not Saint Lucian enough.

That is not leadership. That is not patriotism. That is prejudice.

Mr. Frederick, you are a seasoned politician. You know better. And Saint Lucia deserves better.

The true mark of leadership is the ability to serve all people—regardless of dialect, accent, or ancestry. If we start measuring our leaders by their fluency in Creole instead of their integrity, vision, and results, we are headed down a dark, narrow road.

This is not the Saint Lucia our ancestors fought for. And it should not be the Saint Lucia we accept today.