Louisy, Allan Fitzgerald Laurent (1916- )

St Lucian centre-left politician, prime minister 1979-81. He led the St Lucian Labour Party (SLP) to victory in the post-independence general election of 1979, ending 15 years in opposition to John Compton's United Workers' Party (UWP). As prime minister, he promoted development of the agricultural sector and closer economic ties with other English-speaking Caribbean states. Forced to resign in 1981 when the government's budget was defeated, the SLP subsequently split, with the left-wing deputy prime minister, George Odlum, leaving to form the breakaway Progressive Labour Party (PLP).

Born in Laborie, he initially practised as a barrister, and worked from 1946 to 1974 as a crown attorney or magistrate in different states in the Caribbean, before representing his district in parliament. The leader of the SLP from 1974, he supported the anti-independence movement promoted by the union leader George Odlum.