Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart is expected to announce the DLP candidate for St. John any day now. There is speculation that the wife of the late Prime Minister David Thompson is favoured to win the nomination.
Updated:Selecting The Best Candidate For St. John
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I agree with the comment by Persnicka_t at January 2nd, 2011 at 9:25 PM.
The choice of Mara Thompson as the candidate for St John is perhaps the clearest signal yet that the DLP, like the BLP, has lost its way. There have of course been other signs along the way.
There were other leaders of Barbados before David Thompson who attracted a cult “worship” and following. However, in all of the previous instances such adulation was reasonably well deserved. The object of the adulation were statesmen who demonstrably cared for Barbados and its people and operated in times when the society would brook nothing but demonstrable, true love of country from their maximum leader.
David Thompson, abetted by HH, brought a new style into the leadership of this country at a time when his party seemed to be willing to look the other way at quite transparent moves that were designed for personal aggrandisement moreso than the national good. David, a man who single mindedly wanted to and became PM, for just under three years, was all about power and being PM. A brilliant man, he plotted exactly how he would become PM and was ruthless in achieving that objective. When he became PM, outside of the small sops he threw to the poor and middle classes, primarily as window dressing and vote catching schemes, the major beneficiaries of his short stint as PM were the rich and powerful. David Thompson’s name will forever be linked with CLICO and an obstinacy to do the right thing about a company he was intimately associated with and profited from, for much of his working life. DT could have recused himself from any decision making on CLICO, but he demonstrably did not, choosing a unique strategy for dealing with the company that allowed it’s principals to go scot free and penalise policy holders while gratuitously saddling the Barbados taxpayers with arguably unnecessary significant debt.
How many of you now doubt that the alleged report of his death bed wish that Mara should be installed in HIS seat in St John and keep it warmed for his daughter, Oya, was true?
How many of you analysed what this was telling you about the mindset of the man and indeed about Mara?
How many looked at the clues about the nature of the man as revealed in the way he clung to power while practically on his deathbed and passed it off as something he had to do because of a weak Cabinet?
How many of you analysed that for that deathbed wish to come to fruition the DLP hierarchy would have to play assistant midwives to the beginning of a Thompson Dynasty with the head midwife being the new PM?
A hint, look for Mara being elevated to a Cabinet position, when the current PM shuffles his cabinet. Such is one of the few rational explanations for Freundel Stuart’s failure to upgrade his workload over the last 2 months. He did not want to effect two cabinet reshuffles over a short time period so the reshuffling would have to wait until Mara came on board. Perhaps the deathbed speech also gave instructions to Freundel as to which Ministry Mara should be given.
The portents are not good for Barbados, not because of Mara per. se., but because of the various transparent machinations and horse trading that would have been put in place to effect her ascendancy and the development of a culture that will not be in Barbados’ best interests.
This development suggests to me that the DLP, from whom we expected better, is essentially a very weak party (Look for a very watered down anti-corruption and FOIA Act sometime in the not too near future) and will do little to curb future and current excesses in the body politic.
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EyeSpy Your contributions to BU make Bovine and The Paro In A Suit Greenidge, writings look like they were George Lamming class writers, as your are utter rubbish it is starting to make thos two look good, maybe when you regain the database at the oppositions office you should cut and paste some of their writing to BU, it will not matter to you if it is revelant or not but do something different as you are making no sense whatsoever.
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So Wishing In Vain/Hartley Henry/Bajan Panday is Back talking more shite than ever
How are you Mr. Henry ?
Have you recovered?So some jackass above wants to blame Owen Seymour Arthur for the poorest parish in Barbados
well well well
It does not get any sillier.Mara has a right to carry on her husbands legacy
He aint do nuttin for St. John and she aint gwine do nuttin neitherAh Gone
Poco Poco -
Wishing in Vain
If Owen Arthur has indeed gone on a world cruise at this time it indeed says a lot about the abysmal state of politics in this country and the demise of the BLP.
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Hey Harley/WIV,
I thought you had died with your King.
Pity.
You got to watch all that good living at the people’s expense…it could kill yuh fast lol!First David…next you…then Leroy….and then the country could start to clean up the mess you get when you use spin to try and govern a country.
“The Kingmaker has to die with the King”….LOL….what a pompous ass you really are…spin doctor indeed.
Now run out and go mek the Lucian woman and her daughter the new queens before yuh heart give out!! -
Arthur’s absence
printshare0 comments Minister of Health Donville Inniss.
Mon, January 03, 2011 – 12:06 AM
Opposition leader Owen Arthur appears to have no interest in either the St John by-election or the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidate Hudson Griffith, says Minister of Health Donville Inniss.While stressing that he had no intention of telling the BLP how to conduct its political affairs, Inniss told the NATION he was dumbfounded that Arthur had chosen this juncture to go on a pleasure cruise when his party and Griffith needed him to mobilise their efforts.
Inniss said Arthur would have been aware of Griffith’s opening of a constituency branch office, as well as the need to be at the forefront of the new candidate’s efforts to sell himself to the constituents, but had chosen to be elsewhere.
The St James South MP said he felt inclined to speak on Arthur’s glaring absence since the Opposition often questioned the absence of Government ministers from Barbados for the most frivolous of reasons, whether they were on official business or personal leave.
Inniss said it was understandable why some within the BLP were now publicly claiming that the party had been weakened since Arthur had ousted Mia Mottley from its leadership.
On Saturday during the opening of Griffith’s constituency branch office at Gall Hill, St John, Deputy Opposition Leader Dale Marshall apologised for Arthur’s absence, indicating his leader’s travel plans had been made before that event. -
Tell me you really think Owing See Thru really interested in the BLP, Owing See Thru really interested in topping up his bank accounts and also Nicholls bank account, he ain’t give a rats ass about you or I or a Bajan man and even less about a Bajan Woman’s worries or concerns, he is a poor excuse for a man.
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No wonder Mottley telling people wait until the next election when she will personally se to it the George Pain, Gail Marshall and the long dose of salts Toppin seats are delivered to the DLP and look sharp if he flies up in her face again she may even deliver his as well.
Remember the Mottley clan got money and they have a reason to be bitter to go after him for the kill as he went after her and brought her to the ground, she will do him the same in her own time.
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Tell Minister Inniss to go mind his business. How comes he has no idea what his Board is doing to Dr. Ishmael but can spy in Owen’s business. Makes him sound like a silly little girl. And by the way why can’t the man take a cruise and be fresh to do his job with more vigour. Inniss really shows how stupid and insipid he is. He should stay out the press until he answers serious questions bout the QEH and all those matters relating to him.
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Wait WIV, that is you.. Hope you are feeling better, I see by your posts that you are up to your old tricks. Remember you can fool some of the people some of the time, but the DLP performance over the last 3 years will ensure a change within the next 2
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As a loyal true Barbadian I feel insulted that after free education has been so prodly proclaimed by all,the best the people of St John and the DLP could do is serve up a Lucian to seek parliamentary office in Barbados.Can you imagine the fierce outcry that would have been heard all over this country if Owen Arthur and the BLP had done somethimg like this? It really shows that the Dems feel that they own Barbados and can do whatever the hell they feel like.And the woman says she does not see herself as a politition!Hello… when you get into politics YOU ARE A POLITITION!!Politics is about representing people,you seek to enter parliament to represent people.It is clear that what is being said is true,that her only interest here is securing the dynasty dreamed of by her late husband and spoken of on his death bed.That she should secure the seat and hold it in trust for one of his daughters.This is what representation of people has been brought to in Barbados.And this from a pary that burnt up the airwaves in 2007 opposing the CSME,foreigners working here.I suppose it is “run out all but the Lucians.”What a sad day in our history!! Watch out for the spin doctors,the local “Carl Rove” is returning for the campaign.
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Serenity
” That whole Mia thing had begun to settle and go away like a nine day wonder”
So that is what you all in the Owen “see thru” Arthur faction of the Barbados Labour Party are hoping would happen.
Come election you will be in for a rude awakening, this is going to be a major campaign issue.
The women of Barbados are going to cut your tail for your disrespectful treatment of the Hon. MIA AMOR MOTTLEYThe Arthur faction of the Barbados Labour Party has no respect for Woman kind in Barbados.
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The biggest problem that the Barbados Labour Party has with Mara is the fact that she is a WOMAN.
We all know that under the current leader of a faction of the Barbados Labour Party, WOMEN do not have pride of place.
You better be careful what you go into St. John saying about MARA or her late Husband.
Look who the BLP is offering to the people of ST. John, A JOKE!
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Why is an honest hardworking family man a joke, CC? Because he exercised his right of association differently to yours?
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What am I hearing? The Dems can only respect a woman if she is not born here and is a mulatto? What happened to black Undine Whittaker and black Marilyn Rice-Bowen who did so much for the DLP, who were all around the DLP when Mara was sleeping. Undine a DLP slave cannot even get a Senate pick; neither could Marilyn. These two women came from humble origins and their navel string bury here. DONT BRING THIS WOMAN TALK IN HERE.
Owen had all those woman around him in Cabinet, in Parliament, in the Senate…do a count ; what did David do? Get real now! Mia was Deputy PM, Billie was Deputy PM; I hope you all aint waiting to make a Lucian a Deputy PM cause you have none in sight.
Dont bring this spin cause alot of us have education and brain like Mara and we born and bred hay! -
The decision has been made. Mara is the people’s choice. She has walked the campaign trail next to her late husband and like she said to the press, she is educated like everybody else with a brain. She is as qualified as anybody else. It does not mean others not also qualified.
BU supports her selection. We suspect she will be about serving the people which is the substantive role of a member of parliament. Most MPs today it is more about securing a financial future.
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@Carson C ……..”You better be careful what you go into St. John saying about MARA or her late Husband.”
LOLLL is that a threat? Well the GREAT RESURRECTION will definitely take place in Parliament. The King’s wishes will be implemented and the present PM will be always be reminded of what HIS PM wishes are. This is a classic comic book copy…..”The Ghost Who Walks and Talks”. To the peoples of St. John KEEP THE FLAME BURNING, IT MIGHT JUST TURN ROUND AND BURN YUH! LOLLLLLLL
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If the Bees had given the St. Thomas seat to Genevieve, Tom’s wife in 1985 the Dems would have had a field day. It did not matter that she was involved with the Branch, the constituency and other things in Barbados. WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE? YOU DISRESPECT BAJAN WOMEN LIKE UNDINE AND LOTS OF OTHERS. NOW YOU CREATE A DY-NASTY. AND ARE NOT ASHAMED TO EVEN CALL MARA THE QUEEN. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?
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She’s The Queen because, unlike a pretender on the BLP side, she’s royal, so royal. That’s just the way it is. Don’t get a stroke or end up in the Mental over it. Haha
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So VOB is starting Brass Tacks from 10 am from now on. Fair enough, but why torture me with over 8 minutes (and counting!) of that silly theme music? it’s a new year, get your act together guys!
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9 minutes and 14 seconds! Lord have mercy.
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Lord have Mercy! Mara the Candidate… David campaigning by audio….. Mara joins Cabinet as Deputy PM. Takes over as PM while Stuart becomes CJ… We know… We like it so! Lord have Mercy!! This what you get for ‘Free Education’?
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recently in the Caribbean, a few politicians with dual nationality have contested seats in some islands, and their eligibility to represent the associated constituency was decided by the law courts. Take Skerritt in Dominica, for example, or the Minister of Tourism in St. Lucia. Does Mara Thompson have dual nationality?
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Carson should really cease and desist from ever mentioning women and the DLP.
They have no record of treating the few women around them well e.g Antoinette Thompson, Undine Whittaker, Marilyn Rice-Bowen and Yvonne Walkes. They would like Mia as leader because they had a plan to destroy her and the BLP with lies and inuendo but the BLP outsmart Dem.
Go and deal with the ailing economy, the high unemployment rate and the fact the Dems are out of thier depths that’s why a dying Thompson was still controlling them!
The Dems were caught in a police bus going to some hideout in St Peter to come up with a plan to wrestle the power from Thompson but they did not succeed, Thompson ruled them until he dead.
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The question is not if she has dual nationality. The question is what does the Barbados constitution say. Paging Jeff Cumberbatch. Haha. But if we play along with your line of argument for a minute: Does one WD of the BLP for example, have dual nationality i.e Canadian and Bajan? See, we like our arguments to be really selective. Interesting times.
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Happy new year to all of the BU family.
I endorsed the candidature of Mara Thompson for the St John constituency.I believe she is the ideal person to replace her late husband former Prime Minister David Thompson.
Jenny M you are talking bullshit nonsense about Democratic Labour Party disrespecting Black women.
Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur on the floor of parliamnt in his wrap up to one of his budget presentations lambasted Irene Sandiford-Garner and talked about money loaned to her by the Credit Union to perform an operation on her fibroids.Isn’t that disrespect to women?The same Owen Arthur disrespected his former wife Beverley Arthur by having an affair with his then secretary Julie Price now Mrs Julie Arthur impregnating her in the process.Isn’t that disrespect to women?
Jenny M what respect the Barbados Labour Party has for poor Black women.Name one poor Black woman from humble origins who is in a position of authority in the Barbados Labour Party?Please do not mention Cynthia Forde because she is only an MP who does not have the respect of the Barbados Labour Party members.
Billie Miller is a middle class snob who had and I believe still does not have much regard or respect for Black people including our Black women.She is an Indian lover.Mia Mottley got her position solely on the basis of her family prominence in Barbados & in the Barbados Labour Party in particular.
The Barbados Labour Party has done little or nothing to advance the cause of poor,ordibnary Black women in Barbados and that despicable political party wiith an abundance of political cadavers,political whores & political destitutes is in no position to criticize the Democratic Labour Party on its treatment of women.
The non-issue of Mara Thompson being a St Lucian will not distract the people of St John from electing such a sweet,adorable lady like her to the House of Assembly.She is a citizen of Barbados,she is Black and is entitled to eveything this country has to offer its citizens including the right to run for public office.
Brother Scout greetings but why are you so negative about the Democratic Labour Party.I read many of your recent post and everything you are saying about the party is so negative.Brother Scout,the party is performing well and I have no doubt it will be return as the next government of Barbados with an increase majority to continue the great job it is doing at the moment. -
@ loyal subject
I only asked a question, and it goes for anyone who seek to enter representative politics. It seems as though if one does not agree with the status quo, comments like yours are forth-coming.
Talk about selective arguments, people like you can be very hypocritical, especially if a situation presents itself to the party they so blindly support. For example, many of us were on the call-in-programmes and the blogs supporting Thompson’s immigration policy. Put out the Guyanese we say; no sympathy for those children born in Barbados of Bajan and Guyanese parents, yet we proudly proclaim Rihanna as “The Barbadian singing sensation”. We call Sir Garry Sobers just plain Sobers, while making jokes about him, yet we call Carl Hooper, Sir Carl.
We are quick to quote Rt Hon Errol Barrow when he said that one day Barbadians will wake up to find that Barbados does not belong to us, yet people like you, “loyal subject”, will support Taan Abed, who is either a Syrian or Lebanese, to represent our people on your party ticket. Do not tell me about being selective. -
Why do the Dems on this blog have to be so nasty and disrepectful to others who do not share their point of views? Can we all get along without being so nasty, calling people names and engaing in dangerous gossip. Why must the Dems always digging into the BLP’s members private business, are the Dems without sin?
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Touched a nerve did I? I’ll tell you about anything I want buddy. Now go have a look at sections 43 and 44 of the Constitution if you want to advance the discussion rather than throwing a hissy fit like a spoiled 5 year old girl.
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Crystal Ball where were you last week when the Bees on this blog had to be so nasty and disrepectful to others who do not share their point of views, being so nasty, calling people names and engaing in dangerous gossip,digging into the DLP’s members private business? Haha. Karma is a b**ch eh?
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The lord Jesus Christ was resurrected in three days. David Thompson who some commentators went so far as to compare to Jesus Christ will I guess be resurrected in 3 months. So maybe he is not as great as God as some people wanted us to believe or maybe the evil conspiracy the so call prophet had predicted will be destroyed the week before Thompson’s death has been resurrected or maybe the world will really come to an end on May 21, 2011 as predicted by the other so call prophets.
I guess we have accepted a British Queen since independence so what is wrong with a St. Lucian Queen
This is really a sick joke for a political campaign that started with the death of David Thompson. (HH all over it)
PM Stuart I had a lot of faith in you but I am beginning to be very disappointed in how you are operating now you are your own man. -
Yo touched no nerve, pimp. Just dispute what i said.
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Barbados is a Democratic country.
Elections are free and fair.
The voters of St.John will choose the person who will represent them so STRHU.Mara Thompson if elected will have 1 (one only) seat in the House.
Think about that.
@Negroman,
Stop telling the truth to make your points.Truth hurts. lol. -
Look how the Crooked Barbados Labour Party treated the Right Honourable MIA AMOR MOTTLEY. A woman who did yoeman service for the party. She sacrificed her youth, her time, all of her energy for the Barbados Labour Party, then to be treated like dog shit.
Even the new year started out with accusations of theivery being leveled at her by the Barbados Labour Party.
Tell me again how nice the Barbados Labour Party is to women.
However they will feel it at the next election. The women will cut their asses.
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Wow the comments I am reading really can get very nasty indeed.This surely cannot be necessary.To Mr Cadogan all I will say is that the BLP does not have to watch what they say about the DLP candidate in the bye -election,there is more than enough issues to deal with that matter to the people of St John and Barbados generally that as the standard bearer of the DLP the candidate will have to deal with.The concerns of the people in the constituency represented by the DLP for over 50 years are the same today as they were in Barrows time.What has to be done will be done,there will be no soft prefered treatment of the candidate simply because of who they are or what gender they are.Much as you may want to feel and try to convince people such the DLP are no saints.Instead of going that route let us deal with the burning national issues that so many Barbadians are concerned about and the fact that whether you like Owen Arthur or not what is being experienced now was not so under his administration.And before you tell me about recession Barack Obama was highlighting these problems back in 2007 when he started his campaign and Owen warned the country then that the world was heading into a recessionary period.But the DLP had one agenda and goal,win the government at whatever cost so the propoganda machinery went full spead ahead.
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David, take a bow, despite VERITY’s try to put you down, look how popular this blog has become all of a sudden. This blog is full of new DLP bloggers spewing out their venom on the BLP.
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Owen warned the country then that the world was heading into a recessionary period, BUT DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO PROTECT THE COUNTRY FROM IT, so go and hold a rest.
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The fact that Negroman and people of his ilk have to resort to going into the gutter show that something I wrote sent a message. Getting petty will not help. Bring the evidence of the women that the Dems have elevated. This hypocrisy of talking ‘black talk ‘ and hurting genuine black people even in the Dems is not washing with me. You all cut Mascoll throat, refused to give him funding in 2003; now your knives are sharpened for Freundel and you are meeting behind his back to get rid of him; can’t forget that you hated Sandi because he was too black and from the country and you ganged up ad destroyed him. Come off it now…’Blackness and women are bare mottoes for you snobs. AND PLEASE DON’T START TO TALK OF DOMESTIC AFFAIRS CAUSE ALOT OF YOUR MEN WOULD HIDE THEIR FACES IN SHAME. DEAL WITH THE ISSUES. YOU PICKED MARA..THAT IS YOUR RIGHT BUT LEAVE THE TAGS AND THE PHILOSOPHY OUT.
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The BLP bloggers had their time to parade, but they didn’t reckon for the backlash. They will see which God they’re serving now that the DLP troops have been rallied.
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Which DLP troops rallied and to do what? To take down another black man of humble origins and to elevate the rich and those with lineage like Mara. If you don’t have lineage in the DLP you are doomed . Ask Sandi, Mascoll, Undine, Marilyn, Cicely Chase, and all the others that tried and could not get pass the first round.
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To contest a by-election in case you didn’t realise. I know your brand new second hand leader isn’t interested. I wonder why? You should ask him if you see him some time before polling day.
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Rational thought seems to have deserted Bajans yet again. Here in Mrs. Thompson’s nomination we see the fanning of a cult-like flame – but SOMEONE in the party should be thinking long term for heaven’s sake. The”She’s a woman that’s why the BLP hate her” is a danged silly viewpoint to hold. The “She a Lucian” is disturbing at best since the tone with which it is being used here feels more like an insult than a description of her nationality. Go, Caribbean unity???? That she should “go an’ look after she children” is just plain caveman talk. What I had hoped would happen is that the DLP would realize they have a weak line up in the next general election and put one of their strong women in there or even groom a young upstart with vision. Oh shoot, I forget I dont live in Utopia. I was hoping somebody would push Maxine McClean in that direction, because I don’t care WHAT party she in in, she comes across as very able and no-nonsense. You don’t get this sense that when she speaks that she is trying bamboozle you with a beriffle of words saying the same thing three times in three different ways. (Guilty, Donville, Guily as charged). Lord knows we need that in Bim now. Bim 2010 -2011 = A whole lotta long talk and nuffin happening atall. But the DLP has gone the route of angling for sympathy/dynasty building/playing it way too safe/short-term knee-jerk action/whatever you want to call it instead of thinking of my country’s future. MAXINE FOR PRESIDENT! Sorry, getting ahead of myself……
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Wow! this issue really brings out the tribalism inside of us. Now I am better understanding the reason why continental africa will never be united.Because if a 2×2 island like Bim which is more homogenous can have some among spewing all this bile and venom against their own neighbours over politics and politicians…. who don’t care a crap about them..then the hope for africa unity is a fleeting illusion. Man is truly a political animal indeed.
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@zion1971
You have not seen anything yet, things will heat up shortly.
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@ David
What could be more selling out than your parliamentary seats? Few weeks ago you were busy expressing your unease about ‘foreigners’ owning land in Barbados. The likes of Negroman are known to curse Vic Fernandes, who went to school and grew in Barbados, Roxanne Gibbs, Barack, Mrs.Ram–people that have been here longer than Mara. What makes Mara any different?
“BU supports her selection. We suspect she will be about serving the people which is the substantive role of a member of parliament. Most MPs today it is more about securing a financial future.”
And she is securing her daughter’s political future, an act that is even WORSE since it is rooted in power. You truly have disappointed me.
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Negroman
Greetings to you and family; I wish you a healthy and blessed 2011. I’m not negative about the DLP, I’m just seeing politics through unbiased eyes, which means I would criticise any party when I think in my judgement, they are going wrong. As I’ve always said, I Do have a slight bias for the ruling party but I would not slavishly supoport any party. In my judgement I call a spade a spade whrn I see one. -
As the song goes: watching and waiting and hoping…….
It will be interesting to see the issues that will be raised at this bi-election.
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Fence Sitter
We don’t need any advice from Barbados Labour Party operatives.
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Fence Sitter
Repay to the treasury the millions stolen by BLP “tiefing” Ministers.
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@David. Yes indeed, the tribes are marshalling their troops.The Zionman donot have the stomach nor the capacity to be involved in these warefare.. but will leave it up to those who seem unable to evolve above their primordial state of affairs.Eventually, self-destruction shall be their finality.
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