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The Politicking Behind St. James North Constituency

It is with some disinclination that I enter the current political fray regarding matters surrounding the actors and actions situated either in the Barbados Labour Party, its internal constituents, and the general hullabaloo that has been playing out in the constituency of St. James North which is a seat considered to be a stronghold and…

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George C. Brathwaite

It is with some disinclination that I enter the current political fray regarding matters surrounding the actors and actions situated either in the Barbados Labour Party, its internal constituents, and the general hullabaloo that has been playing out in the constituency of St. James North which is a seat considered to be a stronghold and held by the BLP’s Rawle Eastmond. My disinclination stems from three key positions. Involved in this unmerited public spectacle is a political party that I remain a dedicated and loyal member; my friend is central to the ongoing debates; and thirdly, as a student of politics, I am a strong advocate for democratic traditions and the placing of the good of the collective people above the ambitions of individuals whose agendas are seldom fully known.

I turn now to the substantive though overblown debates. From the onset, I need to emphasise that most of the fuss relating to the allegations about a ‘padded list’ and the future candidature of the current Member of Parliament for the constituency, Rawle Eastmond, are simplistic but divisive. On two counts the simplicity can easily be established and I will explain these before getting to the more critical aspect of divisiveness.

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157 responses to “The Politicking Behind St. James North Constituency”

  1. ac Avatar
    ac

    david has suddenly swallowed a healthy dose of naivetisim and there is no cure for that

  2. Blogger2012 Avatar
    Blogger2012

    @David

    would u say Owen squandered an opportunity to make peace with Mia?

  3. David Avatar
    David

    @Blogger2012

    Yes and no.

    By giving an audience to Mia he would have given credibility to her position in the party as an advocate for change and fed her national persona.

    He had no choice but to stamp her down and it is Mia that showed naivete in this case.

    Albert Brandford described the scenario well in his column today.

    Bottomline Arthur has Mia where he always meant to put her, where she has no relevance in the party hierarchy for the moment.

    She has to fall in line or be blamed for the consequences if she doesn’t.

    Some big foot moves going on, some would say Machiavellian.

  4. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    Everybody with a pulse knows that Owen doesn’t want Rawle on his team so he is using all kinds of political chicanery to keep him out. This issue about registered members of the riding voting for a representative is all subterfuge to try to appear to be above the fray and to maintain some semblance of clean hands. What he is doing to Rawle has never been done to a sitting representative of a political Party. I have no doubt that the “registered” members will do the dirty work and keep Rawle out, Rawle may be the first but Cynthia Forde should keep looking over her shoulder.

    What is the fate of the others selected to represent other constituencies during Mia’s brief tenure as Leader? Arthur Holder resigned but I can’t remember what happened to the others maybe they have seen the light like George C and abandoned Mia and jumped on the Arthur bandwagon.

  5. David Avatar
    David

    You may follow the proceedings at St. Albans HERE >>>>>> http://ustre.am/EWd6

  6. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Owen Seymour Arthur rose from humble beginnings to become Prime Minister.

    Mia Mpttley is a member of the BLP political Royal family.

    O. Seymore Arthur will not let her assume the throne as long as he is alive.As far as he is concerned she may as well be a DLP.

  7. David Avatar
    David

    @Hants

    In this case it can’t only be about Arthur because you should remember he has the support of Payne.

  8. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    We need a lip reader to follow the proceedings on the BLP live streaming.

  9. harry Avatar
    harry

    who cares they are all a bunch of stupid people just liking to hear them selves say big words.
    when all said and done all is thieves and have their own interest at mind not the bajan people.
    dat been proven since 1966 when England gave Barbados independence to stop bajans from going to England and go on welfare.
    or destroy their country like dem doing here.
    who fool who??????????????

  10. David Avatar
    David

    It is evident Eastmond did not enter the race.

  11. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    ole onions, true to form, enuff, miller,prodigal, george brathwaite and rest of BLP yardfowls suspend posting for now the whole set of them in St. James among the “719” making for more BLP confusion.

  12. JUST ASKING Avatar
    JUST ASKING

    Blogger2012 | February 5, 2012 at 4:50 PM | @David

    would u say Owen squandered an opportunity to make peace with Mia?

    WUNNAH think Owen Seymour Arthur is an idiot and that he dont know what he doing??

    WHY is it so easy for people on the “outside ” to pontificate on matters of which they know nothing and seek to speculate on these said matters in an effort to impress somebody that they know sain (something) WHY ????

    LIKE I asked before -WHY WOULD Mia Mottley lose the leadership of the party???
    DONT you know that she must’ve done something wrong ???

    DO you think that Owen is acting alone ???
    DONT You all think that wunnah should stop the crap talk NOW !!!!! ?????

    JUST ASKING
    JUST ASKING
    JUST ASKING

  13. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    @David 4:55
    Agreed 100%
    For Owen and the BLP it’s forward ever backward never. Deal with any issues after elections.

    @Blogger2012
    The need to make peace has gone. It no longer factors into the national psyche. Time has passed, Owen has consolidated. Any move by Mia to pro actively unsettle the train will be seen as treacherous and not be welcome by the party base. All he has to do is to remain neutral to her and not be seen as going on offence. No need. The ship has set sail.

  14. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    @Sargeant
    Did Arthur holder resign from St. Michael Central s well as the senate???

    Does anyone know how many unfilled seats are left on the BLP side??

  15. ac Avatar
    ac

    If OSA ignoring Mia is going to make peace .then ignore at the parties and his peril. For Mia is not going away and this back and forth between himself and Mia would continue .ignoring has not work in the past and surely it would not work in the future!

  16. ac Avatar
    ac

    Albert Brandford seem to be missing one thingin the article in that Mia already knew that OSA was going to say NO and what her reaction would be . but obviously the strategist OSA did not figure that MIA would take the issue to the media giving the DLP another swing at the political ball.

  17. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    Hinkson 126, Skeete 106

  18. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    Hinkson 175, skeete 136

  19. enuff Avatar
    enuff

    @ annonymous

    Hush, I am far, far from St. James, and not a yardfowl. I just know ineptitude when I see it.

  20. enuff Avatar
    enuff

    Arthur Holder is still the candidate for St.Michael Central.

  21. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    thanks enuff. I thought so

  22. David Avatar
    David

    Satia Bradshaw is still in the race also, a Mia appointee.

  23. Blogger2012 Avatar
    Blogger2012

    @David

    The same logic you used can be applied to stuart not calling elections, hence we need to move forward as that is a moot point. I just wanted to establish that with you.

  24. David Avatar
    David

    Looks like the Bees are buzzing after being tossed some red meat by King Arthur 🙂

  25. Blogger2012 Avatar
    Blogger2012

    Barbsdos did not win a fishing agreement as stated in an earlier blog.

  26. Ian Bourne Avatar
    Ian Bourne

    Edmund Hinkson 175 to Skeete’s 136 – a point to ponder before I withdraw… Has anyone seen Albert Branford at these meetings? Yet every Sunday he pontificates as if he was sitting next to Clyde Mascoll or anyone else present? Why such a thorough examination yet no evidence of Branford being an actual eyewitness? Simply Curious, is all? {Video to come}

  27. David Avatar
    David

    Thanks Ian, Albert despite your observation appears to be well briefed.

  28. JUST ASKING Avatar
    JUST ASKING

    BEES and red meat ??
    IS your slip showing ???
    ISNT it more like bees and red flowers ???

    JUST ASKING

  29. JUST ASKING Avatar
    JUST ASKING

    WILL it be BLP =29 ; DLP = 1 ???

  30. David Avatar
    David

    @Just Asking

    Don’t get your britches or panties in a knot, read meat is a term borrowed from the US lexicon.

  31. balance Avatar
    balance

    Mr brathwaithe’s article is as biased and selfserving as mr wickham’s designed to inveigle the unsuspecting public to accept their points of view so i do not see why he is croticising mr wickham.by the way, my understanding is that both mr arthur and miss mottley were both dems cat some time in their lives.the on-going dog-eat-dog saga between high profile members in the two parties at present reinforces my opinion that poltical parties have outlived their usefulness and the system of governance in barbados needs to be reinvented.

  32. balance Avatar
    balance

    mr bratwaithe would also have to respond to and refute mr rommel marshall’s allegations and revelations pertaining to the accepted practice previously enunciated by mr arthur of not condoning nomination challenges to sitting members of parliament of his party in order for his article to retain any semblance of credibilty.

  33. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ Just Askin
    WILL it be BLP =29 ; DLP = 1 ???
    Methinks more like BLP= 25;DLP =5
    After last night’s turnout … The people are arising….they are talking, fed red meat, turning back to carnivores, passionately hungry for semblance of our true past.Yes just Asking, the day beckons. Away with the diploid,away all its semblance and distasteful hellebore as we hark to a soon coming call, and banish once more, the weak and fumble infidels to ten more years in the dark bleak solitude of their accustomed moors.
    “You have been weighed and found wanting.”

    Not just slip Just Asking, but but poo and panty and all..

    By the way, a next BIG meeting this coming Sunday night the 12th at Queens College. the Bees continue to rally( Owen & Co) …Did you get your Flyer? St James South now..its beginning.

  34. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ David | February 5, 2012 at 4:21 PM |
    except PM Stuart when he failed to call the general election after Thompson’s death.

    Would it have made a difference ?…..Have you ever heard the slogan “how long is too long if its BAD?

  35. David Avatar
    David

    @old Onion

    Of course it would have made a difference because it was at the height of the Mia Owen fracture.

  36. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ David

    I doubt.Things were also bad then…not as bad as now but..I guess.. you can never tell with a sympathy vote…..Would you have really liked to endure two more years of this ?

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Onions

    You are Monday morning quarterbacking…

  38. ac Avatar
    ac

    hi ole onions
    Goo morning!
    seeyou up and running. I was hearing that OSA was happy with the result but not jubliant because the man Skeete who he was backing lost! So much for OSA influence!

  39. David Avatar
    David

    A pity Eastmond did not run because it may have affected the result. One suspects a lot of Eastmond’s support went to Hinkson.

    Congrats to him because it seems the smear campaign against him did not work out.

    Did anyone read the flyer which was circulated?

  40. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ All
    Morning ac
    Things back to same ole same ole….work to be done..quarter backing or mid field arranging. The opponents were also there watching in awe at the massive massive turnout.They trembling and gnashing teeth tis morning boy !

    Mia ent do a S….we await her next move ..if any. Plans for next sunday now..even BIGGER meeting planned ..watch…We.bringing out ALL the heavy rollers..

  41. EAGLE-EYED. Avatar
    EAGLE-EYED.

    I am awaiting an official result of the election . However , if as has been published here it is 175 – Hinkson ; 136 – Skeete , the point has to be reinforced..A list of 719 registered members in the St James North constituency is fraudulent. Is it to be suggested that in a Constituency election as highly charged as this one with SENIOR party officials actively involved in canvassing, complete with the use of supporter shirts , a poll of less than 50 % would be the outcome ? The whole dastardly exercise was meant to defeat Eastmond who played into the enemies’ hand by his indecisiveness. However, the bigger picture now has to be addressed..WHAT DOES THIS PORTEND FOR THE FUTURE OF THE BLP? The Arthur faction has got rid of Eastmond ; it will not be so easy to get rid of Mottley and / or Forde . In the meantime I shall keep my mind firmly tuned to George Griffith’s boast that they are ” moving forward as a UNITED party ” . As a boy growing up in one of our typical villages I was tickled by the oft repeated gems of one of the village sages..” united we stand : divided, how we gine down ” ? We shall soon find out on which path this public demonstration of improper political conduct will put the BLP. We shall be able to assess whether it is standing or gine down.

  42. Carson C. Cadogan Avatar
    Carson C. Cadogan

    Nothing has really changed in St. James North, the BLP big guns were backing Skeete.

    He was trashed by Hinkson, we have to wait and see how this plays out. I think it will lead to more confusion in the BLP, as if this is possible.

  43. ac Avatar
    ac

    @oleonion Bags

    And i also hear that Mia had thrown she support behind Hinkson! Influence or what! the race still running it ain.t over yet!

  44. EAGLE-EYED. Avatar
    EAGLE-EYED.

    @ Old Onion Bags.
    That turnout in light of the CONFIRMED , OFFICIAL, PUBLISHED LIST was a POOR turnout. By no stretch of imagination can it be considered ” massive “.

  45. David Avatar
    David

    Agree that if the BLP can keep the momentum going from the nomination meetings it puts them in good shape. One senses that Mia has run out of options and has been effectively corralled by Arthur and cohorts.

  46. ac Avatar
    ac

    The Headline ” Hickson Win! but! OWEN LOST!

  47. Micah Avatar
    Micah

    So the question regarding the “padded voter list” is going to remain unanswered now that there is a new BLP candidate for St. James North, and all of that will be swept under the carpet, assuming it was a legitimate issue in the first place? It would also be interesting to see what happens to the remaining BLP incumbents who are supposed to be loyal to Mia Mottley, though surely OSA will not be bold enough to do a cleansing and get them out- then again all he has to do is keep that number down to a minority and all will be well.

  48. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ Eagle eye

    Trust CBC on Morning Barbados.. not to have a clip of last night’s proceedings to show all thee BLINDMEN..a show of force…for this one (eagle).
    (Guess din want to startle EasyBoy now having his breakfast..taking his time of course.)

  49. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    @ David
    Did anyone read the flyer which was circulated?

    By the way, a next BIG meeting this coming Sunday night the 12th at Queens College. the Bees continue to rally( Owen & Co) …Did you get your Flyer? St James South now..its beginning.

  50. tytony Avatar
    tytony

    Just to correct the impression which Rommell would have put out there. Rommell would have lost the last election by 29 votes in St. Michael West Central. He then gave up and endorsed Ian Gooding-Edghill. Marshall then went to contest the nomination of the St. James Central riding as a BLP member where he was defeated. After the Mia ousting Rommell indicated that he would run against Dale as an INDEPENDENT not as a member of the BLP. The leader then indicated that that would be an act unworthy of a member in good standing. Secondly he had addressed a DLP branch and restated his position . He even indicated he would liked to be endorsed as a candidate of that party in that riding if possible. So that Rommell suggesting that as a member in good standing he wanted to challenge Dale Marshall is not strictly accurate and this did not happen ten years ago. It just happened the other day.

    Some Dems are complaining about the numbers in the BLP’s nomination process. The DlP had under 80 in theie nomination in CH CH West the BLP had over 350 in the same process. In St James North the DLP had about 25 and one man got all the votes and the man who lost was the chosen candidate . In the BLP over 300 people voted in St Iames North and in St. Thomas no one voted. Am I to comstrue that there were no members ? And a person unknown to the branch was chosen. I thought the Dems had particular problems which they would tackle first and then try to tackle the issues other places. Just to enquire what is the status of the eager 11?. When 11 out of 20 state openly and directly they do not want their leader then that is trouble and that has to be fixed I am sure that is what the Dems must insist on . the Dems cannot get on a platform and say to me vote for Stuart as PM if they do not wqant him.Take the beam out of your eye and then come , Expect the heat from now on the battle is now truly joined, Think on these things.

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