Fellow residents of the OECS:

On Monday evening May 14th , 2007 the Acting Prime Minister of St Lucia Hon. Stephenson King announced that our dear friend and colleague Prime Minister of St. Lucia Sir John Compton was hospitalized after suffering a series of mini stokes in St. Lucia

 and another stroke while under the care of his doctors in the United States of America. This development has been of great concern to me, fellow Heads of Government of the OECS Authority and our OECS community as a whole.

Sir John who has worked tirelessly towards strengthening our integration movement in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States returned to leadership as Prime Minister of St. Lucia on December 11th 2007 following general elections.  It was only some three months ago, that I as Chairperson of the OECS Authority paid a courtesy call on Sir John in Castries where we discussed his continued involvement in our dynamic regional integration machinery.

I am happy to hear that Sir John’s condition is stable, he is in good spirits and he is able to speak. However we are unhappy to hear that he has also suffered some physical impairment that will require him to undergo rehabilitative physiotherapy.

While our colleague Prime Minister Sir John has asked that all in his homeland rally together for the sake of St. Lucia during his absence, I on behalf of the OECS Authority extend the request to all in the OECS to remember Prime Minister Sir John Compton, his wife Lady Janice and family, his Cabinet of Ministers and the people of St. Lucia in our thoughts and prayers as we await further developments. At the same token let’s also remember all our brothers and sisters who are encountering any form of impediment and that with God’s blessings they too will overcome their challenges.

Hon Baldwin Spencer
Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda
And Chairman, OECS Authority