 Officers! Draw! Thirds! Fall in! The Officers! After the... After I do the intro We... Talk it. That's it. That's it. For the continuation. Miniva. Miniva. Ready? One, two. One, two. No, that's the second icing in charge of the parade. Second in charge of the parade. The city bends and detours. The third thing was working right now. We would be saying that the second in charge of the parade has lost much of the parade. Independence. Forty-fourth in Tunisia. Wherever you may roam, love or love our island group. And warmest welcome to the live coverage of the Independent Forty-fourth Military Parade which commences at 9 a.m. And it is also Ash Wednesday. Back in the beginning of Lent on the Liturgical Calendar and a very special season of the... for the Christian community. And so as we invite you special viewers to follow the live broadcast brought to you by the National Television Network. Be sure to join on your favorite cable or social media platform and stay with us until the end. I am Claudia Monlouie and I am joined by Mr. Zachary Heapalit. Yes, good morning everyone. Happy Independence to you. Good morning everyone. Yes, happy Independence to you. Happy Independence to everyone and happy Independence to you. Happy Independence to St. Louis. Beyond our shores, within the diaspora and beyond, we are saying good morning here. We may as well have good afternoon, good evening depending on where our people might be in the wider world including Taiwan. We have St. Lucian's on cruise ships and there is a saying, Mr. Silly, that there is a St. Lucian in every country of the world, every part of the world. So as our national anthem says wherever you may roam, the essential thing is that you continue to love your island home. Most definitely, we are dynamic people and just like you said, Claudia, even in Antarctica, you might find a St. Lucian. Yes, so happy Independence to everyone. Happy Independence to everyone. Mr. Silly. Good morning everyone. I would like to say that I am the star of the film. Happy Independence to you. Happy Independence to you. Happy Independence to you. Happy Independence to you. Happy Independence to everyone. Happy Independence to you. And everybody definitely looks resplendent as always very shabby, very bright on a sunny morning here at the the story, the VG playing field or the SAP if you will. Oh yes, and at this point in time the parade commander who is assistant commissioner of police Elvis Thomas has just officially took over and command and in charge of the parade. And he is very, very I Would say he is he's very very significant to to this role So he has been chosen over and over to to be the commander to be involved If not of the platoon then the entire parade because this is it. Oh, yes, Claudia as a matter of fact Ladies and gentlemen, this is His fifth Street independence parade. So He set in the record and he has served as the SSU commander marine unit commander color party in 2022 he served as the parade commander when the parade was held on a smaller scale at the police train school and once again Now serving as parade commander Congratulations and well done to him This morning we expect some fine ceremonial pageantry from the troops on parade this morning All the troops are smartly, smartly dressed in the uniform or wonderful turnout Each platoon is expected to have a complement of 32 persons and It looks like that has been achieved Based on what I'm seeing before me this morning. The policeman is more than under the command of ASP Dyson Limbert And the second in charge is Sergeant Anderson anderson charge inspector Anderson Charles The end position on the within the arrival of the police commissioner We can see the seating dignitaries and our visitors special guests And we welcome them to St. Fisher and we thank them for their continued support of Not just our independence, but our development in general I believe we're about to see the arrival of our commission of police The first female appointed to this post It's Trina making Claudia. Yes it is and she yields from the community of Monrobo and she boasts some 30 plus years in law enforcement And there she is. Mrs. Crusita Descartes Pelius We just witnessed the play of the fanfare for the commissioner of police That was being played this morning for the commissioner is called the um 73 fanfare Which was arranged by the late superintendent Carlos Menz All the music that you're going to hear this morning Local local arranged by local musicians and now that we have witnessed the arrival of the acting commissioner of police we can anticipate the arrival of the honorable prime minister of st. Lucia who did the ninth prime minister of st. Lucia the honorable philly jpr and partner miss mary philix and to be followed in close order by the arrival of the government general his excellency Errol charles yes and wife And at this point in time you shall see the parade saluting the elected head of state And so you shall hear commands such as parade shun the shoulder arms the general salute the prison arms shoulder arms or the arms and then back to the stand at ease So we shall see that momentarily Good morning and happy independence to the cabinet of ministers sworn in on the 5th of august 2021 at the lindo field park and also independence lord who's out to the Claudia's princess and the president of the senate i've been The sequence this morning for the parade the format would be the after the arrival of the governor general would have the inspection Followed by the Followed by the march pass in slow and quick time And then we have the advance in review order Which should be followed by the national anthem then we have the parade The prime minister's march pass followed by the commissioner's march pass And that should conclude the independence parade this morning Good morning and welcome to Sabla It's Police In England we have the Prime Minister I am the head of the police Atalia We have the Prime Minister And the governor general 2,000 of them are wearing the same uniform. The problem was that the police have sent police officers to the hospital. So we have a little piece of clear right there. One people shape in our destiny. And for me it's a call for togetherness and unity. And we must demonstrate these ethos in our day-to-day lives and we need to pass on significant values that are productive and positive for our country's development to our children and our children's children. Armed units! Shoulder arms! We now have the arrival of our Prime Minister, the Honourable Philippe J. Pierre. The Prime Minister is escorted by the Commissioner for Ardennes. This is to see the best part of the news. I just wish for the Prime Minister to come here to say hello. The Prime Minister has accepted the salute, he has kept off the salute in podium and he has been escorted to the sitting area. And now we can anticipate the arrival of the Acting Government General with Excellency Sir Cyril Aaron-Ed Charles. In short order. We have Sergeant 628 Anthea Lewis who's responsible this morning for the hoisting of our flags. And she recently hoisted that of our national flag. And there she has now hoisted the one responsible referring to the police, to our citizenship police force. Yes it did and we commend. Our our parade this morning consists of 11 platoons and there are armed and armed contingents. The armed contingents comprises of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Port Authority, broadly correctional facility and the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps whilst the unarmed contingents consist of the Saint Lucia Fire Service and the Red Cross. A little Claudia and Curtis we shall be speaking a little more on the composition of those platoons especially those responsible for leading those platoons today during the parade. Certainly and many to single out the Saint Lucia Cadet Corps. They are celebrating a milestone and I believe 93 years from last June to this June the program of activities continue. They are 600 strong on island and they are under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Hyacinth and he is looking to grow those numbers all the more. So it's a matter of getting galvanizing, mobilizing and getting more young persons involved in the Cadet Corps. And activity goes on on the George F. L. Charles Airport Airport of North. So from time to time the the the sounds of either a take-off or landing will come through our broadcast but that is understandable. I think the entire nation knows of the proximity of the Saab and the airport and also our beautiful Bigi Beach where some people might be relaxing and listening to or viewing the broadcast Mr. Sili. I am very happy to be here. I am very happy to be able to talk with you and to be able to meet you in person. So I am very happy to be able to meet you in person. produce robots and once again as we await the arrival of the governor general we warmly welcome all our visitors dignitaries including the honored guests of the Prime Minister of St. Lucia Prime Minister of Grenada the Honorable Dickon Mitchell and the distinguished Nigerian national from the WTO we are about to witness Claudio and Mr. Silly the arrival of his Excellency the Governor General Mr. Cyril Erol Charles and all eyes are turned in this direction and he will be accompanied by the ADC and his wife the governor general is going to the salutes and he will be conducting the salute and here they come the parade commander shall now report to his Excellency and invite him to inspect the parade and the inspection will take place in open order and the reason for this is to allow the free flow and movement and we now see the flags on the parade my name is Elvis Thomas and I am the assistant commissioner of police and I am your parade commander the parade consists of eleven platoons nine arm platoons two and arm platoons in open order ready and awaiting your inspection sir we go to the front of the first platoon the grounds are surprisingly in good order this morning despite intermittent showers I don't think there are any muddy spots to compromise the shiny shoes of the officers of the troops that is we go all the way to the front inspection party continues to take a close look at the impeccable appearance of the troops this morning and this year we do not have the presence of the foreign contingents but we do have their support and best wishes conveyed to St. Lucia and we are happy to be enjoying a full length parade once again after the pandemic is the city and imagine this is the big moment that is really why all the polishing and grooming and all the rehearsals were ongoing over the past several weeks to be up to standard for inspection and it certainly not only signifies that one is sharply attired but from a military perspective that one is fit and ready to fight the battles fortunately now when we no longer have the battles of course the stands quite filled up with members of the public and of course there are more along the streets after the inspection his excellency returns to the days and the parade commander shall seek his permission to continue with the March past yes definitely we do look forward to the March past thank Lucia for this live broadcast brought to you by the National Television Network happy independence to the GIS team to the director of information services this is the next into more fontanel to the producer Davina Lee good morning and happy independence always a pleasure to be part of the GIS family Zach as a youth advocate I know you have been keeping a close watch on the youth's engagement reception and involvement in independence 44 can you comment on your observations oh yes for example yesterday in the various educational districts they were different celebrations and observance of our 44th independence and I was lucky to be at district 2 which comprises of schools like the castries comprehensive coming rainy food but a etc and if there's one thing I remember that was said by the district education officer is that the youth has such an important role to play in shaping our destiny Claudia and Curtis which speaks to this year's theme of independence I must inform the audience that calling you is just a bad habit that dies harder but this is such a repel it here is the head of the community relations branch of the RSLBF and the host of police inside on choice TV yes yes it just speaks to our working relationship that we shed for so many years Claudia yes we do apologize we hope no one is offended I am sitting on offended at all I am sure our people out there do understand and appreciate that but I was making the observation that the independence committee has put on a formidable program of activities which has touched every community approximately 15 yes yes and the most prominent around the island yes and the most one of the most prominent that the battle really touches every community out there along with several other activities since independence was launched towards the end of January so hats off and a job well done to the independence committee official in charge bodily correction what is the ESP Ronald Charles The police band is gracing us with one of the well-educated numbers. The police band is marking its diamond jubilee 75 years. Wow, that's a lot of years. I'm so happy for them. Yes, under the directorship and command of ASP Dylan St. Jules. It's nice to see the band back in action. Yes, as you all know, COVID definitely put a damp on a lot of activities, especially that of the operations of the police band. Those officers had to be deployed to assist with COVID fighting strategies. And I know that they definitely elated that we've returned to at least some measure of normalcy so that they could continue to display the skills in playing the instruments. Definitely. They may have felt a little bit out of the element being on detachment at the various police stations around the island. But they were making a very valid and worthwhile contribution in the fight against COVID-19. And of course to ensure that as much as possible there was law and order. There was peace and security in the land during a time that we had no blueprint to follow or to go by exactly. Yes, so correct. The last parade in 2022, 2020, we saw a new feature called the forming squad. However, this year the troops would not perform in the forming squad. They would just be marching inland this morning. So it's like the basic formation in trees. Independence 44-1 people shaping our destinies. Again, what does that mean to you? That means to me that despite our differences in various aspects of life, whether it be political, whether it be religion, whatever the case may be, we need to understand that we are solution. We are solution first and we need to come together as much as possible to move forward in one objective. And one of those objectives in my opinion would be that of prosperity and development for our nation. Whether you're just born, whether you're a baby or toddler to that of the elderly, we all need to understand that only together we can shape our destiny. I think you're on the right track, Zaki. As the inspection party continues, the governor general is now to the rear of the parade. He was taking a closer look at the contingent to the front. Having done that, he went to take a look at the contingent to the back. Well, I agree with Mr. Hidulit in Italy. I don't know if you know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the fact that I'm going to be with my wife and my husband. I'm going to be with my husband. I'm going to be with my husband. I'm going to be with my husband. And the governor general and the touring party with him, they have emerged from undertaking the inspection and he is making his way back to the days of the saluting podium. After the inspection, I'm going to be with my husband. I'm going to be with my husband. The governor general, I keep saying however it is the acting governor general to be precise and he is a former public servant. His area of professional expertise is in tax and tax law. He has given 30 years of service as a public servant to signature and that in and of itself is remarkable and he tells us that he understands what public service is all about and he now takes to the saluting podium. And as I stated earlier, the parade commander shall now seek permission from his Excellency to continue with the march past. At this point in time, the parade commander is requesting permission to carry on. On the occasion of Independence Day 2023, his Excellency the acting governor general as Chancellor of the National Societies of Honor and in accordance with the provisions of section 25 of the National Honours and Awards Act has been pleased to make the following appointments. St. Lucia Cross, Dr. Vellon Leo John for distinguished service in the field of law, government and community development. Nick Trebettscoy for distinguished service in the field of tourism and community development. Professor Dabor Rezier Honorary for distinguished service in the field of medical services and philanthropy. St. Lucia Medal of Honor Gold, Vitus Terence Evans for eminent service rendered in the field of government and foreign service. Matthew Anthony Quota-Bober for eminent service rendered in the field of tourism and community development. Jalim Eugenius Yudovic for eminent service rendered in the field of arts. St. Lucia Medal of Honor Silver, Cuthbert Modest for eminent service rendered in the field of sports. Arnold Alfred Nathan Emmanuel for eminent service rendered in the field of sports administration. Theodore Henry Bailey for eminent service rendered in the field of sports. St. Lucia Medal of Merit Gold, Ricky Joseph for long and meritorious service in the field of arts and culture. Augustine Duclesi for long and meritorious service in the field of arts and culture. Benedict Martha Nelson for long and meritorious service in the field of arts. St. Lucia Medal of Merit Silver, Jerry Emmanuel Mark George for long and meritorious service in the field of arts. Felix Murray Brown for long and meritorious service in the field of education. Paul Valentine Clary for long and meritorious service in the field of arts. St. Lucia Le Pitor Medal Gold. Dytan John Peter Sullivan-Michel for having performed long and meritorious service in the field of community development. Thomas Augustus Nelson for having performed long and meritorious service in the field of public service, community service and community development. Thomas Alcindor for having performed meritorious service in the field of national welfare. St. Lucia Le Pitor Medal Silver. Benedict James for having performed long and meritorious service in the field of community development. Callister Brenda Joseph Virgil for having performed long and meritorious service in the field of education. Selma Daphne Saint-Prix for having performed long and meritorious service in the field of community development. St. Lucia Le Pitor Medal Bronze. Joyce Brown for having performed long and meritorious service in the field of public health. Augustine Dorothy Mason for having performed long and meritorious service in the field of education and community service. St. Lucia National Service Cross. Benson Deterville for rendering loyal and devoted service beneficial to the Royal St. Lucia Police Force, the government and people of St. Lucia. St. Lucia National Service Medal. Susanna Osman for outstanding and meritorious service to the Royal St. Lucia Police Force, the government and people of St. Lucia. Trevor Terry Andrew Alfred for outstanding and meritorious service to the St. Lucia Cadet Corps, the government and people of St. Lucia. Sean McMillan Wells for outstanding and meritorious service to the St. Lucia Cadet Corps, the government and people of St. Lucia. Francis Serini Delis posthumously for outstanding and meritorious service to the Royal St. Lucia Police Force, the government and people of St. Lucia. The Public Services Long Service Award. His Excellency, the Acting Governor General, has been pleased to award the Public Services Long Service Award in respect of Independence Day 2023 to the following persons. St. Lucia Public Service. Francis Joseph Mason. Maureen Justin Williams. St. Lucia Teaching Service. Genevieve Wendy Bailey Joseph. Leonora Eunice John. Royal St. Lucia Police Force. Richard Innocent. Ian Labade. St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority. Ports Police. Cynthia Shalmine. Raphael Crick. St. Lucia Fire and Emergency Services. Bernadette James. Joseph Joseph. St. Lucia Prison Services. Bodily Correctional Facility. Ethel Dredd. Ethel Dredd. James. Wayne James Clark. And congratulations to all the Independence Medal recipients. Congrats to you. Permission has been granted. Yes, Claudia. Yes, permission has been granted. And now we shall see what most times cut is the public really would like to see. The march fast, yes. The march fast, yes, slow and quick time. Yes. Band Chook. What's going to happen now is the police band is going to trope in respect to the Achilles Governor-General to pay compliments to the Governor-General at this point in time. The band will be trooping in slow and quick time. And looking on, we have our dignitaries including the Prime Minister's Honored Guests, Honorable Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell, and the distinguished Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela. She's the Director-General of the WTO. One major lead, Mr. Sili, is speaking to the band with... Not through words, but I want you to mention that the special instrument that he is wielding and what it is saying to the band. What's happening now with the band is the band is right now under the command of the drum major. The band is on the move and the drum major takes command and he gives hand signals to the band using the mix. That's correct. Yes, the drum major is one, yes, like I said, Corporal Gideon Daisy. The band is 43 strong at the moment. One inspector, one sergeant, three corporals. It is seven constables and three band leaders at the moment under the strength of the band. Yes, and to think that the band started with such a small number of persons, it has certainly grown over the years to become a national treasure, not only within our shores, but also throughout the region and even as far as Taiwan. Yes, in 1947 the police band started with only six players, six people, in 1947. They have grown to almost 45 now, which is remarkable over the years. They have been doing community service through the length and breadth of Senusha. As we can see, they are the ones providing musical accompaniment for the police force and the independent story as we speak. Just taking a moment to allow our viewers to appreciate what they see and what they hear. Very lively repertoire so far, Mr. Sili. The band at this point in time is mapping time and preparation for the halt. However, they will continue playing after they have halted and the drum major will cease playing. We should prepare them for the next step, which is to step off in quick time. The sun is bearing down just a bit, but nothing beyond the endurance of the troops. They are definitely fit and steady enough to take a little sunshine and vitamin D, as we shall see. Most definitely. There is a lot of preparation that goes into preparing for today's event. But later, viewers, I shall be interviewing a retired police officer, Mr. Claude Amidé, who will give us a more detailed insight into those preparations when it comes to the parade. Yes, I look forward to it, what goes on behind the scenes. Not many of us know, we just see the finished product, you know, on the parade square. You are so correct. Ah yes, this one is a crowd favorite, Mr. Sili Amidé. A section of the police band is marching in quick time, and the very half of the parade is marching in slow time. They will alternate that movement where the very half will be marching in quick time, and the front half will be marching in slow time. We need to appreciate the synchronization, Claude, which causes there never to be some form of collision between the first and the rare of parts of the band. That's just amazing, isn't it? This is exactly what I quietly admire in here, so I can just read my mind. We are very much in sync. Precision moves that speaks only to continual training. Continual training. A lot of preparation. This is a very sensitive movement. This band has a display. The display will be complemented by Gouvenet Chedewala. You have to finish the display, you will be able to apply it, and then you will be able to play the display, you will be able to pass through it. I think so far the Governor-General seems to be very pleased and impressed with the display that has been put on her this morning at the parade grounds, the VG playing field. More definitely, more definitely. Precision! In close order, right dress! We are now seeing the right marker who has matched six pieces. He took a halt and executed an about turn. He is currently dressing only the front rank and center and the rest shall cover. The parade is being dressed at the moment. As we indicated earlier, the right marker is Sergeant Khaled Xavier. He has the responsibility for dressing the entire arm units, the entire front of the parade at this moment. So that is being done as we speak and following which will have the matched pass in slow time and then in quick time. Arm units! Shoulder! Right! Move to the right! In threes! Right! Following, following, following the marker, following the marker one. Check your speakers. The parade will match pass in slow. This is interval with number one detachment leading. Parade, match pass! Last time. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, viewers, I'm currently joined by former police officer Claude Amidé. I'm going to do a little interview with Mr. Amidé as the expectation is that he will give us a further insight into the preparations for our units today who are currently on parade. Mr. Amidé, good day and welcome. Happy Independence Day to you. I wish you the same Sergeant. I'm honored to be here. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself for our viewing audience? Yes, as he said, I was a member of the Royal Central Police Force. I retired in 2013 at the rank of Inspector. When I retired, I retired from the regional security system. Before I went into the regional security system, I served as the commander of the Royal Central Police. Excellent. So we have a wealth of experience with us. Isn't that right, Claude? Yes, so Mr. Amidé, can you tell us, first of all, the significance of the military parade? I mean, we see it to us, it's amazing men and women looking all neat, parading the hot sun. But is there an actual significance to the military parade? Absolutely. And the significance is such that all parades, all drills emanated from the battlefield. Every movement you see on the parade emanated from the battlefield. But what happens on the parade is that a lot of the movements, a lot of the formations, a lot of the positioning are refined because it is not wartime, it is a feast time. And it is done to commemorate. It's a reenactment of what used to happen on the battlefield. That's a very interesting perspective and I know a lot of us didn't know that. So thank you so much, Mr. Amidé. In terms of preparations, can you tell us what, speak to the preparation so that the public would have a better understanding of what those on parade today went through to ensure that they witness an amazing spectacle? I think what is foundational to preparation for parades is that it starts with, from my experience, I'm not sure if it was the traditional way of doing it, but my attachment at the police training school, we were the ones, the drill instructors there, they are the ones who are tasked with the initial preparation, the foundation, the preparation of the fields, the markings, the identifying the positions for the squad commanders, the parade commanders and all the squads. What we see as the front half or the rear half of the parade is indicated by the markings that the drill instructors from the training school, the other ones responsible for identifying the areas suitable for that. So a lot of work goes into it. It is a very time consuming exercise and we have to ensure that when these things are done, that it is done to procedure. Mr. Amidé, our theme for this year's independence, do you want us to want people shaping our destiny? What does this theme mean to you? And as a former police officer, do you think it has any, what form of positive bearing would it have under operations of the Royal Central Police Force? Yeah, a very interesting question. This program question, that's going to put me in the spot too. Do you see the theme, that theme? I am not sure who is responsible for putting that theme together, but it is a theme, when I look at it, it is, there is a free-prong approach to it. But the most instructive thing about it is the Louvre Assam. Yes. And they would destiny at the end of it. Yes. So you imagine going forward together and there is destiny. But between the Louvre Assam and the destiny, the fundamental thing is how are we going to do it? The police force is always an integral part into the progress of any nation. Yes. Their task with the responsibility for providing safety and security. If there is an absence of that, then you have anarchy. You have chaos. So the police force is an integral part of that process. Louvre Assam, getting towards the destiny. But that was a very good answer, Mr. Amide. It didn't sound like you understood at all. From the time I read the theme, something that I just fell in love with. Excellent. And I think a lot of people love the theme, including myself. What would be your advice, Mr. Amide, for those listening, in terms of when you look at the word patriotic, being patriotic, patriotism, there is always this constant allegation that we are not patriotic enough. Any advice on how we as a nation, especially the youth, could appear or be more... Let's take a break. Viewers, please forgive us as we must often take a little break because we're near to our VG airport. So like I was saying, Mr. Amide, any advice in terms of we being or at least having the acceptance of being more patriotic, as there always seems to be some form of claim that we are not? This is something that has been very problematic. For me, as an individual, you look at where we are right now as a people and it begs another question. How did we get ourselves to the point where we are criticizing our own selves for lack of patriotism? Patriotism is something I see that can be learned, it can be taught and that people are nurtured into understanding that what is true in Senbusha is something that we must embrace. I think the situation of foreign cultures, foreign influences, we have exposed ourselves to that, to an inordinary lens. Inordinary lens, sorry. How do we get out of that mess? I think it has to start from the school system, start from the grassroots level and raise children to the understanding that what is truly Senbusha is worthy of embracing. Excellent, Mr. Amide. And just before we end our interview with you, as we're looking now at what's going on, can you give us a little commentary, Mr. Amide, on what you're currently seeing in terms of the parade? You know, parade is something that is dear to me. That's exactly why I said that. I was just having a small chat with the former commissioner, Mr. Moshe, you know, said to him, how can somebody not love drill? How can someone not love parade? I come here and I make the observations and I do my critiques. And I have had conversations with him and said to him, I would like to see timings, I would like to see precision. You listen to the timings of the band and I often said to Curtis, that is too slow. Okay. Because they're standard pieces of marching. Quick time is 140 pieces. Slow time is 70 pieces. So I was looking at the trooping of the band. Half of the band is marching in slow time and marching in quick time. And they are marching to the quick time timings. That's right. What does that tell you? Slow time is 70. Double it? 140 pieces. And you're going to see the sweetness in the movement of the parade. I always like to see the finer points being focused on. Cutting away. The driving, the swinging of the arms to all the level. Well, that is textbook. But you're not always going to get them. But as long as you have proper timings, it makes you sweet. The drum major for the policeman, this man is sweet. I can never witness a parade on TV and not focus on him. He is the example that needs to be followed. Our policeman, Bravo. Thank you so much, Mr. Amede, for your time. You have definitely added value to our commentary this morning. Thank you so much. And also thank you to the service you've given to our country, St. Lucia. Thank you so much, Mr. Amede. The only way I can describe what he has shared, the information he has shared with us is as a forensic analysis. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. He did an amazing job. Yes. Very, very insightful into what goes on in creating the spectacle before our eyes and the eyes of the nation and across the world. Thank you so much. Thank you. At this one in time, I would like to inform the viewing public on those definitely in the diaspora and abroad of the name of the commanders in charge of the different platoons. So platoon one, that would be superintendent Luke Defritas, platoon two, assistant superintendent Curtis Roberts, the female platoon, assistant superintendent Anantha Wilson, the police marine unit platoon, commanded by superintendent Stephen Victrin, the special services unit platoon, commanded by superintendent Albert Chalry, the port police platoon, deputy chief of ports Michael Placid, a bodily correctional facility, commanded by acting superintendent Ronald Charles, the Sinusia Cadet Corps. And if you notice, we have a male and female platoon with the Sinusia Cadet Corps. Well done. In charge of the male platoon is Lieutenant Valencius Edgar and in charge of the female platoon of the Sinusia Cadet Corps is Lieutenant Jehan Feliciae Williams. We also have the Cadet Corps providing some medics for today's activity in that of warrant officer class two Anne-Marie Marfere and second lieutenant Shanta Ogis. And the officer in charge of the Sinusia Fire Service platoon, assistant divisional officer Marius Charles and last but not least, Claudia and Curtis, the Red Cross. We have a fifth form student from the Sinusia Seventy Adventist Academy, Miss Azoya Howell. Well done for your representation. And here with us we have representatives from the EU, the European Union that is from the United States, from Canada, India, Palestine, Spain. And those based here, Brazil, Mexico, UK, France, Venezuela, Taiwan, Morocco, the Organization of American States OS. We also have IKA here with us, Germany, the WTO. We are well represented regionally as well. We have in our midst today participating in the parade and I'm sure they will take in some other activities. Mr. Sealy, the Prime Minister of Grenada, of course as we have mentioned before, along with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela. She is the director general of the WTO. We also have the Excellency Jennifer Masha, Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Tocari Corp. We have the President of the Caribbean Development Bank with the hygienist Jean Leo. We have the Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Nileb Becker. Welcome, welcome. Happy to have you. Enjoy such an auspicious occasion with us. And the airport continues to be very, very busy. Our independence, of course, falling on a Wednesday, which is very much a good thing for the rest of the week. Very soon we will see the chairs whoop from the parade ground to mark our anniversary of independence. Three chairs for the government and people of St. Lucia. Here we go. Hooray. Hooray. Replace headdress. And the headdress is replaced. And then we will see the departure of his Excellency. Yes, and the Prime Minister will take to the podium to receive compliments from the parade. At this point in time, this is the end pretty much of the Archive of the General's role. And the parade commander is requesting permission to continue. And the Governor-General to take his leave at this point in time. And there are other activities to follow. Last night, Jackie, there was a group of people who came to the parade, and they were very excited to see the parade. And they were very excited to see the parade. And they were very excited to see the parade. And there are other activities to follow. Last night, Jackie, there was the raising of the flag and fireworks. And I think that went on quite successfully. In the north, we saw this event at the Seraphine. Also, we saw this in Viewfort and also at the waterfront in Souffre. So the festive mode, I think, is well-ventilated throughout the island. And we have two cruise ships in our harbor today. I'm sure the visitors will have the opportunity to observe, partake, learn something, and enjoy our parade as well. Move to the right in column of routes. The parade is in column of routes at this point in time, which means that the commanding officers would change their positions and march to the front of the parade. And that has been done. The policeman is moving from the rear of the parade now to the front. Yes, leading the way. In preparation. Yes. But the prime minister is much faster. And we are ready to enjoy what they have in store for us. We are looking at the best band in the world. Yes, most definitely. And here we go. I think the action is about to start. Oh, yes. As the parade is complimented to the prime minister of St. Lucia. March! One would also observe the commissioners standing to the right of the prime minister. To the right of the prime minister and about three pieces and two pieces behind. And we'll salute as the parade passes by. Just to mention some of the highlights of the independence program. We had the business expo in the new independence village. We had the prison worship services. We had the national sports awards. All highlights of this year's program of activities to mark our 44th anniversary of independence here in St. Lucia. Once again the independence standing committee putting in a great job along with partner agencies and stakeholders to have produced no less than about 15 activities to commemorate Independence Day. And we have been notified that the commissioner of police is confirmed in the postal congratulations to your madam commissioner, the crusader Descartes Peleus, a very close relative of St. Lucia's Queen of Folk, madam Cessan Descartes Desist, hailing from the community of Monripo and carrying out an excellent job as commissioner of police in our very, very trying atmosphere. So again, our congratulations to you on that note, Mrs. Peleus. We do apologize for indicating the now defunct title of acting. Yes, yes. As we are nearing the ending of our commentary, Claudia and Curtis, I really would like to, especially as a police officer, to send word of caution and advice to our citizens as we are about to celebrate the rest of today's festivities. To be careful on the highways, be careful on the road, be responsible with your consumption, especially of alcohol. And to make wise choices, so we need to be careful, we need to celebrate responsibly. And just have a good time, have a good time. It's not worth it to get engaged in activities that would cause you to pay a visit to our medical institutions, especially on this our Independence Day. So please, everyone, be responsible and if you're going to FET, FET very safely. And hats off to the police who are detailed out there to ensure that there is safety, there is security, there is crowd control, there is traffic management. And thank you for the great job that you are doing to ensure that we have a fantastic independence. Mr. Silly? Yes, I think it was a wonderful experience. Hats off to the people who go to FET this morning. We have seen, like I said, today we have two platoons from the Cadet Corps, which by my suggestion that the Cadet Corps now is under the command of a full colonel. It's not a lieutenant colonel anymore. It's a different high, sometimes it's promoted to the position of a colonel. And I would like to thank my boys. Congratulations, Mr. Ayrton. Yes, congratulations to you. And another update of a confirmation. So that's fantastic moves, great moves. And thank you to the team which, well, they are still working. They are still working. They will still be covering a number of events. But I refer to the National Television Network, NTN, GIS and the few supporters and partners for your commitment and hard work over the years and in bringing us independence, 44 activities wherever we may be around the globe. At this point in time, the prime minister has taken lead and the police commissioner will take to the podium for the final march pass. And the parade will be marching off in columns of route through the city of Castries to police headquarters. Yes, and I can well imagine the spectators are already lined up. Looking forward to the performance of the band. For sure we want to thank the band for never disappointing and all of the parade participants. Thank you so much for all the hard work. I have a new appreciation. Having listened to Inspector Anthony. How incisively was the precision and everything has to be executed to a T. I mean this is something to be respected and I respect that effort. The chief police commissioner of police as the troops go by. As they walk past this. And here come our female troops led by Superintendent Ananda Wilson. It's always a pleasure to see followed by the cadets. Actually it's assistant superintendent. I guess I just promoted her on live television. I'm sure she'll be happy but she more wanted from the public service, not me. So assistant superintendent Ananda Wilson, yes. It would be more meaningful that way. Yes. But Mrs. Harkary, how do you speak English? How do you speak English? How do you communicate with the public? How do you behave independently? As a police, I just want everyone to take a chance. Because I know that everyone wants to celebrate. Everyone wants to move in front of the police. But we have three or four accidents. So we want everyone to play, to play, to play. To just point to a moment to reflect and understand. To open up. But to be patient. To live at the hospital. So we can play. Just play. Just play. We see the St. Lucia fire service unit taking the salute. How are you doing? How are you doing? You know it has been a very good year and year for women. Because if my memory serves me correctly, other territories in the Caribbean have also appointed females for the very first time as leaders of their respective forces. I believe three that if I'm correct, and another territory. So it has been very good for women. And we are very, very happy that Miss Spellius was able to break that glass ceiling, Claudio. Thank you very much for that observation, Saki. As the only female in the midst of the broadcast team, I want to comment all of the ladies who are now occupying positions of leadership. And I know that women are very, very committed and hardworking leaders. And I hope that they do not have to work twice as hard. Just because they are ladies. As the old saying goes. And we draw our gaze to the drum major once again. The bikers are, I think, going to be very active today. Taking to the roads and I was informed that a barge came in with many motorcycles from the neighboring islands as far as Barbados. And this is another spectacle a lot of persons look forward to. And they have the stunts and all of this, as we see it is an ad form. But it's also a situation where you ought not to try this at home. And don't try this on the roads. You are not an expert in this regard. The weather has certainly held up. A very beautiful day today. It is one which certainly invites us to stay here even longer. But there are other activities. There is Laplace. Caranage, craze. Happening. There is the youth rally happening also at the waterfront. We are asking all of our people who are able to take part in the various activities to please do so. And today is definitely in a very auspicious location as St. Lucian's. The diaspora will also be hosting a number of activities in their respective countries. St. Lucian's communities will be hosting dances, etc. To celebrate this special occasion. And the band leads the way. And they are making their way to the streets. And like you said earlier Claudia, we know that our citizens and visitors are definitely most probably lined up waiting to see our parade pass by as they make their way to Police Headquarters, Upper Bridge Street. Yes indeed, our busy George F. L. Charles airport. The match pass concludes at the headquarters at Upper Bridge Street. So at this point I invite Mr Curtis with his final comments. He must say that it was a wonderful parade this morning. The turnout was immaculate. Everyone on parade in complete order. Full compliment and hats off to everyone on parade this morning. And for more so persons who turned out this morning in such large numbers to witness the parade this morning. Once again happy Independence Day all. Yes, I'd like to thank once again the government information service for allowing me the opportunity to be here with the commentary team. And once again St. Lucian happy Independence Day. Go out, enjoy and please be safe. Please be safe and congratulations to all the independence medal recipients. The infrastructure will take facilities down on the calendar and those individuals will receive the tangible rewards that is the medal. Similar to your experience Mr. C. Yes, pretty much, yes, because that is a very prominent and important feature on independence parade. And the Red Cross brings up the rare and this is an organization which has been making a tremendous, tremendous contribution to state pollution. We hear all of those house fires, disasters, which which is occurring and persons who are in need even during COVID and persons needed humanitarian assistance. These persons would be assisted by the St. Lucia Red Cross. So they are very, very important institution on island and to be represented here at the parade for obvious, obvious, obvious reasons. We cannot do, we cannot do without our emergency response mechanisms and the various bodies such as Nemo, et cetera. Happy Independence to you all and we conclude our broadcast here. Claudio Monlui saying goodbye. Please note that the shuttle will also be available to take you from the waterfront to return to this venue at the end of the round.