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CARICOM Hails Peaceful, Credible Conduct of Saint Lucia General Elections

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CARICOM Hails Peaceful, Credible Conduct of Saint Lucia General Elections

 

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has praised the peaceful and transparent conduct of Saint Lucia’s 1 December 2025 General Elections, following the deployment of an 11-member Election Observation Mission (CEOM) invited by the government of the island nation.

 

Led by Chief of Mission, Ian S. Hughes, the team, drawn from nine CARICOM member states including Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago arrived in Saint Lucia between 25 and 27 November.

 

Two officials from the CARICOM Secretariat provided administrative support.

 

In the days leading up to the vote, the Mission held extensive consultations with key political actors, including Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre of the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP), Leader of the Opposition Allen Chastanet of the United Workers Party (UWP), independent candidate Stephenson King, and Commissioner of Police Vern Garde.

 

The observers also engaged with civil society groups, business leaders, persons with disabilities, and the Saint Lucia Electoral Commission, in a bid to assess the political climate and level of preparedness for the elections.

 

CARICOM noted that while the campaign period was intense—characterised by fierce debates, policy-focused messaging, and occasional personal attacks—it remained largely peaceful, with no reports of election-related violence.

 

During the advance poll held on 28 November, the Mission observed long queues and delays caused by the limited number of polling centres available to early voters.

 

Despite the challenge, all eligible voters in line at the close of polls were able to cast their ballot, ensuring no disenfranchisement.

 

On Election Day, the CEOM covered 317 polling stations across 14 of the country’s 17 constituencies.

 

Observers reported orderly openings at 6:30 a.m., with adequate police presence, timely delivery of election materials, and the attendance of political agents from major parties.

 

Voters were said to have turned out early and in high spirits, contributing to a steady turnout throughout the day.

 

The Mission described polling officials as well-trained, professional and impartial, noting their courteous assistance to elderly and incapacitated voters.

 

While some polling stations located on upper floors created accessibility challenges, the process generally proceeded smoothly.

 

However, electronic data clerks struggled with severe connectivity issues that persisted for most of the day.

 

The CEOM confirmed that voting, closing and counting procedures were carried out strictly in line with Saint Lucia’s electoral guidelines.

 

Ballot counting was conducted transparently in the presence of political agents and observers, and results were properly recorded on Statements of Poll before being transported for the official tally scheduled for 2 December.

 

Overall, CARICOM expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the polls, commending polling staff, political party agents and the police for maintaining order and professionalism.

 

“It is the Mission’s considered view that the results of the General Election will reflect the will of the people of Saint Lucia,” the CEOM stated, urging citizens to remain calm and patient as they await the official results.

 

The Mission, which departs Saint Lucia on Wednesday, reaffirmed CARICOM’s commitment to supporting the country’s democratic process.

 

A final report detailing observations and recommendations is expected to be submitted to the CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett, in the coming weeks.

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Diaspora Watch – Vol. 88

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Diaspora Watch - Vol. 88

📢 Diaspora Watch Newspaper – 88th Edition is Out!

The publishers of Diaspora Watch Newspaper are pleased to announce the release of its 88th edition, a compelling compilation of in-depth analyses and global perspectives on pressing international developments shaping today’s world.

Diaspora Watch FREE Digital View: https://diasporawatch.com/3d-flip-book/diaspora-watch-vol-88/

On Demand Print: https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/3307041?__r=1069759

SUBSCRIBE TO DIASPORA WATCH NOW ON THE LINK BELOW!!!
https://diasporawatch.com/subscribe-to-diaspora-watch-newspaper/

Explore key global developments shaping today’s world:

• U.S.–Iran tensions after Islamabad talks collapse
• Gulf crisis and Strait of Hormuz concerns
• UN push to recognize slavery as a crime against humanity
• Africa CDC warns of major health system inefficiencies
• China’s IT expansion and India’s COP33 withdrawal
• UK and European economic and diplomatic updates

✨ Plus: Spotlight on Nigerian-American entrepreneur John Imah, building a $1.5B AI fashion-tech company.

Stay informed. Stay global. 🌍

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2026 UTME: JAMB Calls For Calm As Exam Disruptions Persist.

As the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) exercise enters day 2, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has assured candidates whose examinations were disrupted that they would be rescheduled to write them at a later date.

Public Communication Advisor of JAMB, Dr. Fabian Benjamin stated this during the The Senate Committee on Tertiary Education monitoring of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Abuja on Friday.

Benjamin was responding to questions raised by disgruntled parents and candidates whose examinations were disrupted at the Good Success Computer Based Test (CBT) Center, Utako

On his part, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Dandutse agreed that JAMB and CBT centers were faced with a lot of challenges but promised
to resolve them.

“From what we have seen, we have seen progress and we have seen a lot of challenges faced by the centres.

“And this one is not only in Abuja, it’s throughout the country. As a matter of fact, we sincerely appreciate what we have seen so far. Because the other issue is a technical issue, it happened yesterday and it also happened today, which was explained by the supervisor. But the truth of the matter, it has been a constraint to JAMB because these issues need to be addressed even before the exam takes place.

“As senators who are solely responsible for oversight and investigating the matters arising to this JAMB exam, I think we are going to look into how best JAMB will improve in most of the activities.

“We have already instructed them and told them to, as a matter of urgency, to take a definitive action so that the student will write the exam. And at the same time, we are going to review all the activities in JAMB so that we can make sure that these things do not happened again.

“So definitely we are going to address it and we are going to make sure that all the CBT centers are well functional and efficient. Because there is no moral justification for somebody to come from far away and will be living in trauma without writing the exam”, he said.

JAMB Spokesperson however maintained that the glitches were expected:

“Naturally, you should have one or two challenges here and there. It is not unusual and I don’t think there is anybody that will condone the exam using one thousand centers and then you expect that you won’t have any problem. But the most important thing is that if this problem do occur, are you prepared to handle them? And that is what we have just done there.

“That all those candidates will be rescheduled to another date, another center where they will sit the examination. It is natural to have a problem.

“As Nigerians, as citizens, that at least they are paying us with public funds, we are using public funds, they will expect 100%. But we know as operators that it is not easy, it is not possible for you to give 100%.

“But by the time you score 90%, at least you should have a term of. But for the candidate that have gone there, used the whole hours and sat inside the hall and then they didn’t take the exam, it is expected that they should vent their frustration. But it is natural”, he said.

Benjamin however, reassured that the Board would do the needful:

“We are assuring all Nigerians that every candidate who have registered for this exam will be given the opportunity to sit this exam. If your center fails today, you will be rescheduled again to take the exam. For any reason, even when you are rescheduled, and for any reason again, you are unable to sit the examination, you will be rescheduled again.

“That is why when we finish the exam, we have what we call the mop-up. The mop-up is to ensure that candidates whose center failed and they could not take the exam, we mop them up, give them a particular date for them to sit the examination. Because it’s a contract we have entered with them, they must sit the examination.

“But we’ll continue to do our best to ensure that we have minimal failure of these centers. And that is what we are doing. Out of 957 that we are using for this examination, I’m not sure we’ve had up to 10 or 8 centers that have failed”, he added.

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ENTERTAINMENT – Diaspora Watch

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Late Afrobeat Pioneer, Fela Earns Historic Global Recognition.

Late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, has been inducted into the prestigious Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the first Nigerian artist to receive the honor.

Naija News reports that the announcement marks another major global recognition for the iconic musician, decades after his passing.

Fela was inducted under the “Early Influence” category, alongside renowned global music figures such as Queen Latifah, Celia Cruz, MC Lyte, and Gram Parsons.

The list of inductees was unveiled in the United States during a live broadcast of the popular television show, American Idol.

Also recognized is Nigerian-born British singer, Sade Adu, who will be inducted in the “Performer” category.

She joins a lineup of global stars including Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Luther Vandross, and Wu-Tang Clan.

Despite stiff competition, several high-profile nominees failed to make the final list. These include Shakira, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, New Edition, and Pink.

Organizers disclosed that over 1,200 artists, historians, and music industry professionals participated in the voting process.

The induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 14 at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.

Fela’s latest recognition comes just months after he made history in January as the first African musician to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The honor, coming nearly 30 years after his death, further cements his legacy as a global music icon and pioneer of Afrobeat.

It also follows the introduction of the Best African Performance category at the Grammy Awards two years ago, reflecting growing global recognition for African music.

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