BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Stephenson King was yesterday sworn-in as St Lucia’s new prime minister to succeed Sir John Compton who died on Friday evening.

King had been acting as prime minister since May when Compton’s deteriorating health forced him to identify King for the post.

The swearing-in ceremony took place as St Lucians remain immersed in national mourning, which has been officially declared for two weeks culminating in a State Funeral expected to take place on Saturday, September 22.

King took the oath of office from Governor General Pearlett Louisy, after succeeding in tense negotiations to secure one more vote from among parliamentarians of the ruling United Workers Party (UWP) to get a required two-thirds in the 17- member Parliament.

The vital one vote, to make nine, came from Marcus Nicholas, currently Deputy Speaker of Parliament. King was originally denied the vote along with that of former foreign minister, Rufus Bousquet, at a crucial meeting of the UWP parliamentarians Friday night.

That meeting took place shortly after confirmation came of the passing of the 82-year-old Compton at a private hospital after prolonged illness.

The lacklustre King, formerly health minister, is known as a devout “Compton loyalist”. However, his choice to act as prime minister came as a surprise to even UWP supporters.

They had expected Compton to instead name his party’s first deputy leader and Minister of Social Transformation, Youth and Sports, Lennard Montout, to hold the reins pending an anticipated recovery from his illness.

The vote that was to still elude King’s bid for consensus was that of Bousquet, who was dismissed as foreign minister by Compton who had returned to work for a day to do just that as well as add to King’s portfolio responsibilities as acting Head of Government.

Bousquet’s dismissal took place in the face of a revolt, led by him, over Compton’s position to maintain diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China instead of reverting to Taiwan – an old ally of successive UWP administrations.

As prime minister, King is scheduled to pay an official visit to Taiwan. He may signal a compromise with Bousquet when he makes his first cabinet reshuffle. Bousquet is known to still harbour hopes of being reappointed foreign minister.

The UWP, in the meanwhile, also has the challenge to determine whether to go ahead with its announced convention for next month at which closet aspirants for leadership are expected to make their bid to fill the vaccum left by Compton. The man to play a crucial role in arrangements for that convention, by virtue of his position, is Lennard Montout.

The 82-year-old Compton, recognised as “father of the nation” of St Lucia, died at the Tapion private hospital. His more than three decades in active party politics included leading St Lucia into independence on February 22, 1979 and playing key roles in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and Caricom.

Along with the late Dame Eugenia Charles of Dominica and Lloyd Best of Trinidad and Tobago, Compton was a recipient in 2003 of the highest award of the 34-year-old Caricom – Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC).

In a tribute to Compton, Secretary General Carrington said his contributions to his native St Lucia and Caricom were most outstanding.