CASTRIES, Saint Lucia – The United Workers Party (UWP) won a comfortable victory in Saint Lucia’s general election, according to preliminary results of the poll.

According to the results, the UWP won 11 seats to the SLP’s six.

The swing away from the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) was led by UWP leader Allen Chastanet, who meted out a thrashing to labour’s Guibion Ferdinand in Micoud South.

Chastanet gathered some 2,495 votes to his opponent’s 1,446.

In the Gros Islet constituency, the UWP’s Lenard Montoute avenged his defeat by seven votes at the last election by Emma Hippolyte, by winning 6,344 votes to her 4,552.

Therold Prudent of the Lucian People’s Movement (LPM) gained 152 votes.

Former Babonneau MP, Ezechiel Joseph, also avenged his two vote defeat by Alvina Reynolds at the last election, by winning 3,374 votes to her 2,168.

With just days to go before the election, Joseph was accused by former Micoud North MP Jeannine Compton-Antoine of sexual assault.

Compton-Antoine alleged that the incident occurred while Joseph was minister of agriculture. Joseph flatly denied the accusation.

Dr. Gale Rigobert, who was the leader of the parliamentary opposition, won the Micoud North seat in a four-cornered race with Compton-Antoine, Herbert Roserie of the SLP and Independent McDonald Alexander. Rigobert gathered 1,930 votes to Roserie’s 885, Compton-Antoine’s 787 and Alexander’s four.