The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) is preparing for political transition with new candidates and fresh faces joining its ranks, including former members of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), as the island edges closer to another General Election.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, political leader of the party, in her featured address at the 86th Annual Conference yesterday at Queen’s Park, The City, said she was not there to call elections.
“It is no secret that the last elections were held in January 2022 and we are 15 months away from the fifth anniversary of that election,” Mottley told party members.
“No, I’m not here to call an election today. I know that some of you feel so. When Owen Arthur used to say that no one knows when the son of man cometh, I would have to say that no one knows when the daughter of man cometh but there are some things that we have to discuss.”
The Prime Minister said her administration would not allow a repeat of what she described as a “Freundelian 90-day scar” on its record.
“By every stretch of the imagination, we are 15 months away and I’m not going to have the Freundelian 90-day scar on this Government’s administration. Whenever the next election is called my friends, it must be run on the cleanest, most reliable voters list in our history.”
Mottley said that was why officials were conducting a door-to-door enumeration exercise in recent weeks and why 16 new registration centres were being opened across the island to capture every eligible voter.
‘Your vote is your voice’
“Our electoral process is sacrosanct. Your vote is your voice and if you are eligible, you need to be on the roll. We have built a pathway for this. Walk in and you can register. Circulars will also be sent to every person whose name is on the list to help us ensure that we can find everyone. Please make sure your names are on the voters list,” she urged.
She added that the names of deceased persons, those living overseas for more than five years and those who could not be located would be removed.
“There are implications for constituencies, boundaries and for the number of constituencies and we are also dealing with that,” she revealed.
Mottley also confirmed that two sitting MPs, Cynthia Forde (St Thomas) and Attorney General Dale Marshall (St Joseph), would not contest the next General Election.
She lauded both as “two of the hardest, best working members of the modern Barbados Labour Party”.
Last lap
‘This is their last going down,’ she said, embracing Forde on her left and Marshall on her right.
“[Cynthia] Forde, who worked with me in education for seven years and then the rest of the party, and [Dale] Marshall, who has been at my right hand for the last seven years as well. There must be something about the number seven.”
The Prime Minister said she had already instructed the party’s general secretary to begin the process of finding new candidates for those constituencies.
“Let the business of finding new candidates for St Thomas and St Joseph begin and I believe that there may be a few other new candidates as well,” she announced.
In a surprise sighting, Michael Lashley KC, who contested St Philip North three times on a DLP ticket, arrived at the conference to embraces and greetings and was seated among the crowd of BLP supporters, underscoring what Mottley described as “a quiet but telling shift” in Barbados’ political landscape.
“We are witnessing a quiet but telling shift, and I trust that it doesn’t cause any unease among any of us,” she said. “Members of that fractured Democratic Labour Party are choosing to either support or join this Barbados Labour Party. This is not just political realignment . . . it is a recognition of something deeper.
“They have seen what we have always known: that the Labour Party is not just a party, but a movement grounded in people first, leadership, national priorities, development and a legacy of progress,” she continued.
“They also regret that the Democratic Labour Party of Errol Barrow is no longer present or felt. We as a party must be big enough to make room for every Bajan while never forgetting those who built this party and who endured it.
“So let us welcome those who are ready to build and serve and stand for a Barbados that leaves no one behind,” Mottley urged. “This is not about red or blue; this is about redoubling our commitment to the people and lifting high the Broken Trident for all.”
She cautioned, however, that the party was not “poaching” anyone.
“That doesn’t mean we are going looking for anybody or poaching. But to the rest of us, it cannot be business as usual. Decency, delivery and discipline must remain the hallmarks. There must be no arrogance, no improper behaviour, no corruption, no taking of constituents for granted.”
Mottley reminded MPs and potential candidates that every election starts from scratch.
“Every election starts with zero seats and zero votes,” she stated. “You have to persuade people to put their ‘X’ for you. You have to go and work and earn every vote. So I say to my ministers and my MPs, do not hold up and I will say to any new candidate, do not hold up. And to the MPs who might be moving on, while you are here, do not hold up either.” (NS)
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