There will be four contenders for the leadership of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) when the 68th annual general conference comes off from August 18 to 20.
Incumbent Dr Ronnie Yearwood will be challenged by former Government ministers, Richard Sealy and Dr David Estwick and by Ryan Walters.
General Secretary, Steve Blackett said the election machinery was well oiled as the party prepared to put a new executive in place, to continue to work on rebuilding the once prominent political party, which has twice been completely defeated at the polls by the ruling Barbados Labour Party. That process, Blackett indicated, had already begun to bear fruit with 600 new members, mainly young people, joining “within the last couple of months”.
“That is a clear indication that some attractiveness is presenting itself to the broad cross section of Barbadians who are rallying with the cause and joining the party,” Blackett said.
The annual conference under the theme “Reset, Renew: The Way Forward” is taking place in the refurbished George Street Auditorium, Belleville, St Michael. There will be two days allocated to the casting of votes.
Giving details at a press conference at the headquarters yesterday, annual conference chair, Melissa Savoury said the three-day event would start with voting from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, August 18, and votes would continue to be cast on August 19, the same day that a plaque of the late former DLP leader and former Prime Minister Sir Lloyd Sandiford is expected to be unveiled on the Memorial Wall.
Vice president of the Bahamian Senate, Senator Barry Griffin, will give the feature address on the opening day, billed as “Gala Friday.”
The membership will hear from the elected president whose address will be given after a 10 a.m. church service at the Auditorium on Sunday, August 20.
Blackett said a turnout of “about 1 000” members was expected for the conference, adding the party was “almost on the launching pad to launch it into the party it really was.” (GC)