Residents accuse MP Emma Hippolyte of bias over boat left in Soufriere cemetery
SOUFRIERE, St Lucia (April 12, 2025) — Nearly nine months after Hurricane Beryl devastated parts of Soufriere, a boat remains stranded in the community’s cemetery, igniting public outrage and growing demands for action from the Member of Parliament, Emma Hippolyte.
The Category 4 storm, which also ravaged the Soufriere waterfront and Hummingbird Beach in July 2024, pushed storm debris—including broken stoves, refrigerators, and a vessel—into the cemetery.
Hurricane Beryl’s impact across the Caribbean caused widespread infrastructural damage, leaving several communities, including Soufriere, grappling with prolonged recovery efforts.
According to the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), significant damage to public infrastructure was reported following Hurricane Beryl, and restoration efforts have remained a critical concern for affected districts like Soufriere.
The cemetery’s perimeter remains compromised by a damaged fence, and the boat lodged among graves has become a symbol of what residents describe as political neglect, poor leadership, and disrespect for the dead.
Mounting frustration at town hall
At a recent Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) town hall meeting, a concerned supporter raised the issue publicly, expressing deep frustration over the government’s inaction.
“Every time I go to a funeral, there is a boat still there in the cemetery. You get stove, you get everything else in the cemetery, and that should not be,” the supporter stated bluntly.
Member of Parliament for Soufriere/Fond St Jacques, Emma Hippolyte, addressed the cemetery controversy during the meeting. She acknowledged that while some clean-up was facilitated, the boat could not be removed as it is private property.
“We helped other people who needed our help, but the owner of the boat has the responsibility to dispose of it,” she stated. “We can’t touch it.”
That explanation has only fueled public frustration. In the days following the town hall, discussions on local airwaves, including the widely followed Newsspin program hosted by Timothy Poleon, reflected mounting skepticism. Public sentiment has turned sharply, with many characterizing Hippolyte’s remarks as not only dismissive but politically calculated.
Critics have pointed out the glaring inconsistency—numerous vessels and debris were cleared from other public spaces after Hurricane Beryl, yet this one remains. The distinction has led some to suspect that the delay is rooted not in legal or logistical constraints, but in lowbrow political bias. Community chatter suggests the real reason may be Hippolyte’s alleged perception that the boat’s owner does not support her politically—an accusation that, if true, would reduce governance in Soufriere to petty, vindictive score-settling.
To many, the episode reeks of small-minded politics—an immature, infantile approach to leadership that prioritizes personal loyalties over community restoration. That a boat could be left stranded in a cemetery for nearly a year simply because of who owns it is, for some, an unforgivable sign of declining integrity in public office.
“This is the kind of politics that makes communities lose faith in their leaders,” one disillusioned resident noted. “If sacred burial grounds can be neglected over perceived allegiances, then we’ve hit a new low.”
The longer the vessel remains, the more it stands as a stark metaphor—not just for post-disaster inertia, but for the type of political dysfunction that reduces service to selective favor. For grieving families and frustrated constituents, the message is clear: partisan grudges have no place in cemetery policy.
Residents call for leadership, not excuses
Several residents who spoke with Loop News expressed outrage over the vessel’s continued presence, questioning the government’s failure to act despite its removal of other storm-related debris.
“Is the owner of the boat above the law?” one asked.
“Since when a private citizen has so much power?” said another.
“It seems the owner of the boat owns the cemetery,” a third resident told Loop News.
Speaking with Loop News, several unemployed young men in the community also said they should be given the job of cleaning the cemetery.
Beyond political fallout, residents are calling for immediate, results-oriented action from their elected representative. Many argue that Hippolyte, as the MP, has a duty to resolve the matter decisively—regardless of technical ownership barriers.
“The community is not asking for miracles. We are asking for our MP to step up and show leadership,” one resident insisted. “If she could help others, why not here?”
Public frustration has reached a tipping point. As the anniversary of Hurricane Beryl approaches, many Soufriere residents say the excuses must stop, and decisive leadership must finally begin.
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