Submitted as a comment by Ecoanalyst

Let us stop making this a political football that aims at revising history and making the BLP blameless for the present situation…. It is not a question of political blame BLP vs. DLP, but rather the political parties reflecting the majority will of the people. We still have to decide whether CSME is good for Barbados, notwithstanding the statements of the politicians over the years .

The key issue is how rapid immigration will affect the voting patterns of the country if immigrants are allowed to vote. The party encouraging immigration stands to benefit if there is not a backlash by the majority. That fact may have lost the BLP many votes last year.

Last year 12% of the Barbados registered voters were immigrants. In Antigua’s last elections 24% of the voters were immigrants. For this reason the issue of immigrant voting rights and their effect on national elections is of paramount importance in both of these islands.

CSME as theorized means one country, one economic space, one currency; one Central Bank one economic policy; many countries with reduced control over economic and social policies. The eight OECS countries have the most developed structure in this regard… Maybe that is why Trinidad wants to join them.

To my thinking the CSME as now drafted and implemented, will never become a reality as countries will cherry pick the things they like and ignore the rest. Therefore opening the borders to unrestricted immigration will ensure drastic changes in the country’s politics and social stability, that most Barbadians will not like.

The solution is to get out of the CSME “pipe dream” goals of full integration, especially as they relate to free movement. Make decisions that are in the best interest of the country and its long term stability and establish the bi-lateral trade/economic arrangements that make sense.

Stop the talking and the posturing . The vested interests promoting the CSME mirage are protecting their own jobs. We have been rehashing the same ides for over 50 years. Let us get real and support the things that work for Barbados, and the future stability of the country economically, culturally, and politically.