Summary
General elections were held on 6 April 1987 on the normal expiry of the Parliament’s term, but the close polling results did not provide either one of the main contending parties with a clear mandate.
The regularly-scheduled elections of 6 April 1987 left the ruling United Workers’ Party (UWP) with a House majority of only one seat (9 to 8 ) over the opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) and thus without a clear mandate to govern. As a consequence, the newly-elected Parliament was dissolved after its formal opening on 14 April and a fresh poll was called for 30 April.
In the campaigns, the conservative UWP, led by outgoing Prime Minister John Compton, stood by its achievements since coming to power in 1982 while the socialist SLP, headed by Mr. Julian Hunte, criticized the Government’s performance in the economic realm. The latter polling day was marked by a larger voter turnout but produced an identical distribution of House seats. On 5 May, Mr. Compton announced the composition of a slightly-altered Cabinet from the one he had earlier appointed.
Source: Caribbean Elections
| 1987 April 6th Summary Results | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constituency | Registered Votes | SLP | UWP | PLP | Rejected | Votes Cast | Turnout |
| Gros Islet | 5,324 | 2,32 | 1,694 | 128 | 61 | 4,015 | 75.41% |
| Babonneau | 5,379 | 703 | 2,078 | 77 | 30 | 2,888 | 53.69% |
| Castries North | 10,001 | 1,772 | 2,411 | 846 | 32 | 5,061 | 50.60% |
| Castries East | 9,213 | 1,217 | 2,481 | 758 | 99 | 4,555 | 49.44% |
| Castries Central | 2,744 | 354 | 821 | 147 | 76 | 1,398 | 50.95% |
| Castries South | 3,848 | 129 | 1,129 | 844 | 74 | 2,176 | 56.55% |
| Anse La Raye & Canaries | 4,936 | 1,532 | 1,482 | 182 | 38 | 3,234 | 64.52% |
| Soufriere | 5,241 | 1,828 | 1,561 | 0 | 64 | 3,454 | 65.90% |
| Choiseul | 5,602 | 1,831 | 1,744 | 0 | 75 | 3,650 | 65.16% |
| Laborie | 3,853 | 1,777 | 1,744 | 0 | 62 | 3,650 | 67.92% |
| Vieux Fort South | 3,563 | 1,425 | 1,011 | 0 | 34 | 2,470 | 69.32% |
| Vieux Fort North | 2,993 | 1,324 | 638 | 0 | 77 | 2,039 | 68.13% |
| Micoud South | 3,337 | 289 | 1,598 | 145 | 39 | 2,071 | 62.06% |
| Micoud North | 3,893 | 216 | 2,045 | 42 | 81 | 2,384 | 31.24% |
| Dennery South | 2,494 | 975 | 758 | 22 | 0 | 1,758 | 61.24% |
| Dennery North | 4,485 | 1,220 | 1,631 | 166 | 21 | 3,038 | 67.74% |
| Castries South East | 6,257 | 165 | 2,004 | 1,302 | 62 | 3,533 | 56.46% |
| TOTAL | 83,163 | 18,889 | 25,892 | 4,659 | 925 | 50,365 | 60.56% |
| 1987 Vote Distribution | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constituency | Code | Total Votes | % Votes | Candidates | Seats |
| St. Lucia Labour Party | SLP | 18,889 | 38.21% | 17 | 8 |
| United Workers Party | UWP | 25,892 | 53.32% | 17 | 9 |
| Progressive Labour Party | PLP | 13,133 | 27.07% | 12 | 1 |
| TOTAL VALID VOTES | 49,770 | 100% | 46 | 17 | |
Party Legend
FREE – Freedom Party
NA – National Alliance
PLP – Progressive Labour Party
SLP – Saint Lucia Labour Party
UWP – United Workers Party
IND – Independent