Mr. Val Henry, MyVueNews.com:
Basseterre, St. Kitts, 29th May, 2018(MyVue News.com)- The recent general elections in Barbados are now over, but the debate remains heated, this time over whether the losing Democratic Labour Party, DLP, should accept, if offered, two senatorial seats that may have to be appointed by the island’s Governor General, Dame Sandra Mason.
Given that the DLP was totally blanked out at the election, losing all of the 30 seats, it also means that they have no opportunity to appoint senators.
Recognizing the dilemma, new prime minister, and the island’s first female head of government and leader of the Barbados Labour Party, government, Mia Mottley, is reported to have suggested to the Governor General that a constitutional change might be necessary, to allow her, the GG to appoint two senators, from the party that received the second largest number of votes, DLP.
Ordinarily it would be the Leader of the Opposition that would be accorded such right.
But in strange twist, the man who managed the DLP’s failed bid to return to power, is publicly suggesting to his party that they should not accept the opportunity to have any of their members take on the task of opposition senators.
If this advice is accepted, it would mean that DLP would have absolutely no voice in parliament, at any level.
DLP campaign manager, Robert Bobby Morris is reported in local media to say that DLP should not accept such an offer, because he prefers his party to earn its place in parliament.
Morris is quoted in a Barbados Today article as explaining, “My view is the Democratic Labour Party would be getting back their seats and claiming rightfully by that action, their place in the legislature in due course. I think that is going to happen. So I don’t think there is any necessity to create a position specially at this point in time. The Opposition in Parliament is not the only type of opposition that is possible. But I don’t think the Democratic Labour Party wants to be compromised in terms of their participation,” the former campaign manager said.
Morris has been heavily criticized both for the DLP loss and now his recent suggestion not to accept the senator spots.
Many Barbadians have blamed him partly for the defeat and the heavy loss that saw DLP getting just over 36,000 votes compared to well over 110, 000 for Mottley’s BLP. Other observers though also factor the poor state of the economy and the arrogance of former government ministers and officials, for the loss at the polls last Thursday.
Not even former Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, managed to keep his seat. He is now expected to give up his position as president of the DLP and a new leader should be known after the party’s annual convention in August.
The Barbados Today report indicated that DLP is scheduled to begin a post mortem look at the massive defeat, this Wednesday when top officials meet.