St Lucia votes in election dominated by economy, crime and passport sales

Voters in St Lucia have gone to the polls to elect a new legislature and choose their prime minister, in a race dominated by debates over economic management, violent crime and passport sales.The Labour party, led by the prime minister, Philip Pierre, is seeking to fend off a challenge from the conservative opposition leader, Allen Chastanet, who preceded Pierre as prime minister of the island of 180,000 people. Labour holds a strong majority in both of St Lucia’s legislative chambers.Chastanet heads the conservative United Workers party, which has sought greater international security cooperation and financial transparency, while Pierre has advocated for stability and cautious economic management.The opposition leader argues that security has deteriorated under Pierre’s tenure, partly because US support for local police has been curtailed under Washington’s Leahy Law, which restricts assistance over past human rights abuses.Castries, St Lucia. The island’s citizenship-by-investment scheme is a vital source of tax income. Photograph: Napa/AlamyChastanet has called for open and accountable auditing of the island’s citizenship-by-investment programme. Such schemes are an important source of tax income for several small island states in the eastern Caribbean but have strained relations with the US government, which warns these can be exploited by “nefarious actors” from countries such as China and Iran.Washington has proposed its own “gold card” visa programme aimed at accelerating the immigration process for wealthy individuals.The election follows Thursday’s vote in neighbouring St Vincent and the Grenadines, where the opposition captured almost every seat up for grabs, ousting Ralph Gonsalves after 24 years as prime minister.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionThe US is escalating a military buildup in the Caribbean that it says is aimed at curbing drug trafficking around Venezuela. Authorities in the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago have allowed US vessels to dock in their territory.