There is the saying a week in politics is a long time. For several months Opposition Leader Mia Mottley has led her troops to push the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) government on a number of issues. The more notable have been the CLICO Affair and government’s housing program managed by Minister Michael Lashley. A recent CADRES poll has given Arthur a narrow lead over Mottley in national popularity, according to pollster Peter Wickham this is to be expected given Arthur’s profile as a former Prime Minister. The margin of error in the poll makes the difference irrelevant anyway. Although it has come as no surprise to BU the move by Arthur and cohorts to jettison Mottley as leader of the Opposition, the question arises why has it surprised Mottley and her supporters?
In October 2009 former Prime Minister Owen Arthur staged a press conference at UWI. The level of criticism which Arthur directed at Mottley during that press conference should have sounded the alarm. Dr. George Belle when asked to comment on what was an early sign of Arthur’s perspective on Mottley’s leadership stated the following, “the party decides who is the leader and a leader emerges. If a leader emerges who is a genuine leader, they will sustain their leadership and that is also politics”.
The Arthur cabal has issued Mottley a summons to attend a meeting on Monday at 10 AM. If we are to judge from the utterances of Arthur, Payne and Clarke this week, the decision has been made by a majority of the parliamentary group to support Arthur. Mia’s attendance (under protest if she decides to) would be to receive her job description to list her new role. Mottley has the option to play along, take the matter to the annual conference, cross the floor, resign from active politics or …. Barbadians should know very soon which path the embattled leader of the opposition will take.
BU finds Arthur’s push for the leadership at this time intriguing. They are some who have opined that the serious illness of Prime Minister Thompson has precipitated the grab. Arthur has never been a fan of Mottley and it was confirmed in his UWI press conference. Being forced from the leadership of the BLP after the defeat in the last general election has served Arthur well. He has had time to recharge hopefully and at the same time wait for the opportunity to pounce. He would not have anticipated less than three years into a DLP first term that opportunity would have appeared, it has and the cagey politician that he is, he has pounced!
Political pundits who want to remain dispassionate would be reminded of Dr. George Belle’s observation – “the party decides who is the leader and a leader emerges. If a leader emerges who is a genuine leader, they will sustain their leadership and that is also politics”.
Interestingly a similar scenario affected the DLP when Thompson won over the support of his parliamentary colleagues to trump Mascoll. At that time Mascoll to the consternation of many crossed the floor. BU believed then that it was a ‘cheap’ move by Mascoll and one which must still cause him sleepless nights given the events unfolding. Mottley, the political student she must be and a member of the Mottley Clan will not make the same stupid mistake. She has BLP blood coursing through her veins which blocks any idea of crossing the floor.
The rupture of the Mottley BLP relationship does afford her the opportunity to establish a credible third party, the country is ready but does she have the political capital?
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