St. Lucia
St. Lucia is a parliamentary democracy that holds competitive elections and has long experienced peaceful transfers of power between rival parties. Persistent challenges include government corruption and inadequate transparency, police brutality and a perception of impunity for such abuses, and discrimination against LGBT+ people.
Research & Recommendations
St. Lucia
| PR Political Rights | 38 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 53 60 |
Overview
St. Lucia is a parliamentary democracy that holds competitive elections and has long experienced peaceful transfers of power between rival parties. However, differences in the sizes of voting constituencies have resulted in unequal voting power among citizens. Persistent challenges include government corruption and inadequate transparency, police brutality and a perception of impunity for such abuses, and discrimination against LGBT+ people. Violent crime is a growing concern.
In countries where democratic forces have come to power after periods of antidemocratic rule, the new governments should pursue an agenda that protects and expands freedoms even as it delivers tangible economic and social benefits to citizens.
These countries must act swiftly to release all political prisoners, build or revitalize democratic institutions, reform police and other security forces, organize and hold competitive multiparty elections, and ensure accountability for past human rights violations.
In countries where there has been significant erosion of political rights and civil liberties, policymakers, legislators, jurists, civic activists, and donor communities should work to strengthen institutional guardrails and norms that serve to constrain elected leaders with antidemocratic or illiberal aims.