Stephenson King
Saint LuciaBiography of Stevenson King
Stevenson King was born on November 13, 1958, in the city of Castries, Saint Lucia. He began his active political career in 1987 when he became the leader of the youth division of the United Workers Party and later served as the President of the Caribbean Federation for Youth Affairs. This federation was actively sponsored by the United States as a counterbalance to the prevailing Marxist views on the island.
During the periods of leadership of John Compton and Vaughan Lewis from 1987 to 1999, Stevenson King worked in the government as the Minister of Social Development and Sports, and later as the Minister of Health and Local Government. During the open confrontation between John Compton and Vaughan Lewis, the leaders of the United Workers Party, King, as the party chairman, was practically the only one who supported Lewis. However, when it became clear that Lewis was losing the battle, King, being a reasonable person, chose to preserve his positions and not engage in conflict with Compton. "I did not want to be foolish," King later said in an interview. Indeed, as the second person in the party leadership, it made no sense for King to lose everything for personal sympathies towards Lewis.
In 2006, when the United Workers Party won the local elections, John Compton became the head of the country's government and was inaugurated on December 19. Stevenson King joined the new government as the Minister of Health and Labor Relations.
A year later, when Compton became seriously ill, King became the Acting Prime Minister. He simultaneously held several positions in the government, including Minister of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, National Security, Labor, Information, and Broadcasting. It could be said that King single-handedly led the country. Compton passed away on September 7, 2007. After brief consultations and negotiations with party leaders, on September 9, the Governor-General of Saint Lucia, Pearlette Louisy, swore in Stevenson King as the new Prime Minister.
Today, King continues to lead the country, holding the positions of Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, and National Security.
