Emblazoned on the front page of today’s Nation newspaper is the fizzeog of Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite under the headline Don’t blame me!
In a another part of the media Minister Ronald Jones the entrenched Minister of Education was heard to say that the ministry of education cannot be blamed for the ills of society currently playing out.
These two senior ministers need to be reminded about the various messages to be found in the DLP Manifestos of 2008 and 2013. They also need to be further reminded of the DLP’s mantra of a building a society and not just an economy. The focus of this submission is Attorney General Brathwaite.
The lack of respect members of the political class of Barbados continue to direct at the citizenry is mindboggling. At a time of national crisis if we assess the level of violent crime in our country compared to days of yore what we need is for our political leaders to stand up. The statements issued by the Ministers of Education and Attorney General as reported in the media do nothing to signal hope that the Cabinet of Barbados has a plan to lead civil society at a time of crisis.
As penance for relinquishing their leadership roles BU urge both of them to read Sections [5] Families First [6] Empowering Our young People [23] and Law and Order of the 2008 DLP Manifesto. Under [23] there is mention of the recommendations made by the National Commission on Law and Order. A simple question to AG Brathwaite, please tell the public which of the recommendations have been implemented under his stewardship. The government was complimentary of the Commission’s report and therefore it follows a DLP government well into its second term should have implemented a few of the recommendations. This is one example how the Attorney General can demonstrate leadership to Barbadians instead of his statement of nothingness as pressed on the front page of today’s Nation newspaper.
Wait a minute!
In the 2013 DLP Manifesto here is what is recorded on page 54:
Against this background it would be unsatisfactory to contemplate leaving the development of our justice system to Parliament and the Courts. It is the view of Democratic Labour Party that a Law Reform Commission, suitably structured and provided with adequate resources could perform an important function by ensuring that the legal system provides a framework that enables our society to manage contemporary challenges effectively.
The Law Reform Commission headed by a senior Attorney-at-Law, will comprise of a group of persons drawn from a wide range of professions. It’s function will be advisory. The Commission will be empowered to consider on its own initiative, or at the invitation of the Attorney General, areas of law that appear to be in need of reform. The Commission will then publish a report concerning any area of law that it considers to be in need of reform, along with its recommendations for reform.
Isn’t is obvious why a greater number of Barbadians are disengaging from the ‘system’?
The BU household has written voluminously about the need for ordinary Barbadians to understand that we have to participate in our system of government for it to work effectively for us. The time has come to wrestle back our civic responsibility from the political class for the sake of our children and a better Barbados.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.