Submitted by Douglas
“The challenge is, as represented in the Peter Wickham poll, that Ms Mottley . . . faces a problem of being accepted by the society at large and faces a problem of being accepted by a cross-section of the BLP,” Arthur told the media at his UWI, Cave Hill office.
“The BLP has a challenge and we have a situation where there’s not a contest […]for leadership within the party, but there is a problem in the wider Barbados society, where there is unacceptance and unacceptability of the present leader of the party,” he said, “but she has to make herself likeable, she has to be respected because people want to believe that their leaders are full of integrity . . . and she has to consider the use of power; not be feared negatively, but be understood as a person who can use power effectively.”
Extracts from 2009 Interview with Owen Arthur
Owen Arthur warned Barbados and the Barbados Labour Party about everything that is taking place now in the corridors of the Barbados Labour Party. In an interview in 2009, he spoke honestly and without malice while giving an assessment of the leadership of his “former protégée”. He advised “the challenge is to have a leader who enjoys wide acceptance and acceptability in the wider society and wide acceptance in the parliamentary party.”
Here lies the fault line, which is occurring on the eve of the party’s next annual conference. The race is on to have the Mia matter executed ahead of the Party’s conference. It is evident the “former protégée’s”arch rival and an unrepentant political acolyte of Arthur in the person of Jerome stands to benefit from this imbroglio. He stands to benefit immensely after standing down from an obvious third defeat at the hands of John Boyce.
The spin doctors in the BLP are busy at work trying to give the public the impression that the issue in Christ Church West is about Dr Maria Agard. We on this side are quite aware at the core issue is leadership. This re-occurring decimal in the thread of Opposition politics continues to define for this country what is to come if ever the BLP is elected to office.
Less we forget that what happened in Ch. Ch. West happened in the St James North and St George South candidate selections. The white elephant in the room is the apparent irregularities in the branch voters’ list or for some Mia’s list . The last recorded issues have to do the accusations of monies spent in St Joseph by the Female Club to ensure that Dale was a sure loser. Of course, no one is talking about Arthur’s concern re governance of the BLP’s edifice after he took over from his former protégée” on the last occasion. The issues there are the subject of a Barker Report.
There is clear and present danger in the Opposition way of managing the affairs of their party. What say you about the affairs of the country? It is clear that there is a danger in opposing the leadership of the Messiah.
This new brand leadership which is authored by the non male members ’club of the BLP begs the question, in whose interest is the process gaining momentum? The face of the Barbados Labour Party has changed so much since Arthur exited that is hardly recognizable beyond the Mia’s faction. She has done well to stamp her authority NOT leadership.
In a letter penned to Dear Joan and signed by Mia Amor Mottley Q.C., M.P on the 19th September 2011. The author of the letter declares to Joan
“ You may well ask whether internal victory at all costs for certain interests is worth jeopardizing the image and appeal of our great Party in the eyes of the wider electorate at this volatile and uncertain juncture of our Nation’s history and within sight of a General Election.”…
…We must quell all other attempts to secure the domination by a few to the detriment of the majority. For we must ask ourselves, after the women and young people who will be next in the line of attack? Why is one-man one vote so threatening to the leadership in a modern democratic Party?”
Understand what would happen if these machinations take place in national elections by those who appears to manipulate constituencies branch elections.
The views of Arthur and the views of Mia as contrasted here speak to a leadership of contradiction. The current leadership is on a journey to redefine politics by making it a blood sport where lives and reputation are placed in public space. Barbados must listen to the honest words of Owen Arthur “…there is unacceptance and unacceptability of the present leader of the party,” he said
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