The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) supporters used the blogs in the last General Election 2008 with telling effect. We noticed that the BLP blog is the first out of the blocks since losing the election. We noticed that many of the DLP supporters have gone underground and seem to feel that their contributions to the…
The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) supporters used the blogs in the last General Election 2008 with telling effect.
We noticed that the BLP blog is the first out of the blocks since losing the election.
We noticed that many of the DLP supporters have gone underground and seem to feel that their contributions to the effort of freedom of expression has ceased with the DLP’s elevation to government.
BU will be watching with interest.
Enjoy the honeymoon folks.
This is our shortest article ever.
COMMENTS ON THE PROGRESS
The following are comments made by Prime Minister Thompson in the Sunday Advocate of February 3, 2007 on the subject of his party’s 100 day programme.
He said some of the initiatives merely “require initiation, not completion” He went on to add “ I think people ,misunderstand these things, so they think that if you say that you are going to, for example lay integrity legislation that it means you will pass it in a 100 days. It doesn’t mean that because it is not only the Members of Parliament who have a relevant role to play in that, it is the public, it’s the media, and I can’t circumscribe your 100 days, I can only circumscribe mine”
He further added “And in relation to other areas of implementation, what we are aiming at, subject to the availability of resources, is the initiation of those items that fall under the 100 day programme so that we can therefore keep the faith from there”
May I remind readers of the various DLP promises taken from their manifesto with relevant reference page numbers categorized between those the DLP promised immediate action and those which they promised to deal with within 100 days ( they did not say from when the 100 days commenced)
IMMEDIATE ACTTION
Labour rights legislation ( page 36)
A new DLP government will move to immediately enact a comprehensive national Labour Rights legislative compendium which will include the following:
A Full Employment Rights Act
An Alternative Disputes Settlement and Arbitration Committee
A Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Act
National minimum wages legislation
Legislation fully recognizing Trade Unions.
Approval of capital account transactions (page 25)
Immediately review the current Central Bank procedures for approving capital account transactions with a view to simplifying and speeding up the approval (or denial) process for restricted transactions.
Port charges (page 33)
The DLP pledges to immediately re-examine the Port charges with a view to significantly reducing these to manufacturers as they consider them to be a burdensome cost. They say that tonnage dues are charged twice; – on raw materials when imported and again on finished products when being exported.
Integrity legislation (page 48)
Immediately introduce integrity legislation requiring
a declaration of assets by public officials,
a Code of Conduct for Ministers,
a new Freedom of Information law,
amendments to the Defamation laws and
new constitutional provisions to rationalize the powers of the Prime Minister.
Health issues (page 11)
A new DLP Government will immediately embark on a health promotion campaign to sensitize the public to the dangers of unhealthy lifestyles
ISSUES TO BE DEALT WITH IN FIRST 100 DAYS
Don’t forget the DLP promises to do the following in the first 100 days
Introduce the Agriculture Protection Act that will require a 2/3 majority of both houses of parliament for a change of use of land from agriculture.
Remove VAT from building materials on houses valued up to $400,000.
convene a National Consultation on Education
What makes you think that DLP supporters have gone underground? I am a strong supporter of the DLP and will continue to express my opinions on the blogs. I will criticise the gov’t if I believe it is not acting in the right interest of Barbadians. That is the diference between the DLP and BLP. The DLP has always allowed and accepted criticism while the BLP is not tolerant of such, hence one of the reasons for their big loss in the last election. You had BLP hacks whenever they disagreed with someone’s opinion were not decent enough to ” agree to disagree”. They always resorted to threats and abusive language.
I certainly have not gone away.
I was one of those people, who supported the DLP before and during the last election, my support was due to the governance – or lack of – by the last administration. I am no politician and therefore have no desire to tell the present DLP administration how to run the affairs of state, but will naturally be interested in their progress.
When I dared to suggest, that the DLP would win by a substantial majority one blogger here, suggested I was just wishing – his words were not that kind. I seek not to re-engage in battles won, but only hope for the proper governance of Barbados.
I have no doubt, that Mr.David Thompson will make a Statesman of some stature, and a good Prime Minister of Barbados, a statement I only repeat now, as I made it about September of 2007. I am not being wise after the event, I wrote it long before the red hot battle of the election commenced, and it can still be seen on the various blogs.
I wish them well.
I am here and accounted for my friend, just taking a holiday.
I am still asking why was mottley selected as the leader of the BLP when George Payne was the one recommended for the post?
In the long term we will see that this was yet another error in judgment and good goverance, we are not ready for a person of uncertain gender running the affairs of this island.
To The banned and then unbanned… why was WIV banned and then unbanned in another place when it was recommended that he serve a 5 year sentence……
Because it is not your blog!!
Wishing in Vain // February 7, 2008 at 11:26 am
I am here and accounted for my friend, just taking a holiday.
I am still asking why was mottley selected as the leader of the BLP when George Payne was the one recommended for the post?
In the long term we will see that this was yet another error in judgment and good goverance, we are not ready for a person of uncertain gender running the affairs of this island.
==============================
what ever could you mean? Mia is Royal, and a Lady to boot. Surely you jest. 😀
Since everyone is present, can you please tell the public your views regarding the continuation or the abandonment of the ill-conceived Flyovers?
Whilst at it, can you discuss the Cariscot problem regarding the 300 gun toting soldiers seizing assets of Nitin Amersey back in 1990?
I must also congratulate all of you of showing how journalism can shape the landscape of a country.
I say BU keep the fire burning ever pressing for Integrity, Accountability and Transparency. I for one will not let up with the change of government but will watch with interest how the above mentioned attributes are dealt with by The David Thompson Administration.
BU,
Please wake up !
I have not left the scene…..no plans of leaving them either !
I am allowing my ESTEEMED Prime Minister and his awesome team to settle into their jobs.
Come 12th February 2008……the great mission continues .
Too bad Mia AMAN Mottley…….has put the great OWEN out to pasture !
Such are her convictions about his SUPPOSEDLY
Such are her convictions about his SUPPOSEDLY……..brilliance !
The big question for our DLP friends must be then: your contributions revolve around politics only?
If it is said that politics is about how we manage our life then you DLPites have no reason to become Church mice!
Did anyone hear the news that O’Brien Trotman and George Edghill had their contracts terminated today with immediate effect? The Prime Minister has ordered a forensic audit into the UDC. These guys were raping the Treasury. George Edghill had the gall to appoint a Deputy Director on Jan 17 and when asked said that he was advised to do so by Mia Mottley. As the PM pointed out there was no Minister of Economic Development on Jan 17.
The BLP and the DLP are essentially two old and different political labels, symbols and images. This being the case, there are certainly Barbadians and other nationals that have been for a long time calling themselves members and supporters of those actual human organizations that for various reasons still today continue to structure, organize and motivate themselves around these two flagging labels, symbols and images.
In addition to the fact that the BLP and DLP are two old, flagging and different political labels, symbols and images, there is the fact that the actual human beings that have been structuring, organizing and motivating themselves around these labels ….. are also different in many ways, i.e, with regard to age, race, class/status, gender, party roles, party experience, religion, etc. However, given that these said political labels, symbols and images as well as the newer political labels, symbols, and images – the PDC and the PEP – are microcosms of the wider age categories, wider race and class/status configurations, the wider gender compositions, party political situations and the wider politics, altogether in the wider Barbadian political/society, the bid of any of these organized groups to control and manage the overall Barbadian society must be to start with a very tall order, and to actually achieve control and management of this political/society must be way tougher.
The fact that the recent BLP Government was such a STARK and MISERABLE failure, means that this DLP Government may also be a STARK and MISERABLE failure, given that, et al, it is very hard for such small but comparable political groupings, at different times as between each, to be actually controlling and managing a much bigger Barbadian political/society that is becoming so increasingly complex, demanding, diversified and differentiated in almost all aspects of this society, as well as it is very hard for these same groupings, again, at different times as between each, to be actually controlling and managing a Barbadian political/society that is being flooded with so many identical, competing and contrasting claims that are more and more being piled up on the political and governmental structures of the country. Moreover, what is very clear at the moment is that the NEW DLP Government is stalling already and is terribly lacking in POST-ELECTION momentum, in spite of impressions to the contrary just before and during the election campaign. Also, to get a better picture of a DLP that appears to be more feeling that it is still in opposition rather than in government, just look at the evidence available that there IS NO CLEAR, COHERENT AND CONSISTENT DLP PROGRAM FOR PRESENTLY TAKING THE COUNTRY TO A HIGHER LEVEL, amid prevailing global economic uncertainty and possibilities of an economic recession in the USA. Certainly, this DLP Government is the first government in the modern history of government and politics in Barbados to be so early in its term remaining, according to press reports, very committed to so many things that it would have been SEVERELY criticizing in the past (CSME, EDUTECH, etc.) and to be apparently back tracking as well ( many time lines for Manifesto pledges now being about initiation rather than being about completion of the programs behind the pledges ).
The way forward therefore is for us – Barbadians – to follow the emerging trends in the political/social market of Barbados – whereby some political actors (nationals and non-nationals) in Barbados are demanding that the NEWER parties to be given greater roles to play in the very many political governmental institutional and processual frameworkings of the country, and for us – Barbadians – to therefore give crucial support to the PDC and its Pre-Election Manifesto (2006) provision that tenors the establishment by PDC of a Coalitional Form of Executive Government for Barbados – whereby parties, non-party political groups and independent political figures, will have very important and great roles to play in the running of the affairs of Barbados by making sure that the best or most equipped politicians or political figures in the country are able to come together in a CONSTITUTIONALLY STRUCTURED AND SANCTIONED WAY – NOT in any way like the very discredited and illusory so-called politics of inclusion, and to help run this country, for the common and greater good. Also, we in PDC ask that Barbadians give crucial support to the PDC Pre-Election Manifesto (2006) provision that speaks clearly to the establishment by A PDC Government of a proportional representational system to replace this “stupid” first past the post system in Barbados that clearly distorts the voter support given to parties vis-a-vis the total number of seats won on the basis of constituency elections, as opposed to seats that should have been allocated on the basis of total votes cast in an entire national election. Such a proportional representational system shall also be the basis for the election of persons to serve in this Coalitional Executive Government of Barbados.
PDC
Forgive us if we are cynics in the crowd.
We know of many politicians who are in the lower house and we are reluctant to believe that some of them will suddenly walk in a certain direction. Like any person who enters a job for the first time there is an enthusiasm and energy which comes with minimum of effort. It takes commitment, integrity and other qualities to stay the course.
Like others, we will be waiting on David’s gang to see if there is a deviation from the old way of doing things. Yesterday, we heard about the dismissal of two people who should have been gone a long time ago. It is a pity the people of St. George North were not wise to the truth! Maybe a forensic audit on the ABC idea can retrieve the situation.
thompson spoke about his 100 day, nobody ain’t talkin about that, how come?
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