est. 2007

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Is a ‘Partyless’ Political System the Solution?

The attached document was shared with BU and makes for provocative reading – Barbados Underground Division is killing us. I am in favour of a *CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, in a sovereign state where the ultimate power rests in its citizens, equally entitled under adult suffrage to vote to elect representatives to wield that power under…

The attached document was shared with BU and makes for provocative reading – Barbados Underground
The Houses of Parliament, seen across Westminster Bridge in England – Wikipedia

Division is killing us. I am in favour of a *CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, in a sovereign state where the ultimate power rests in its citizens, equally entitled under adult suffrage to vote to elect representatives to wield that power under the constitution, a government with no parties, just representatives from each constituency unified to act in the best interest of the people. In reality the politicians are friends united behind the scenes, so why not be friends united in public acting on behalf of the people? It’s time  for us, an Independent, sensible and well educated nation looking perhaps to create a Republic, to get rid of the Westminister model and get our own, the Barbados model.

MPs should vote for a mandated balanced budget if not a surplus, and balanced trade perhaps by incentivising  exporters.

Why is Parliament set up with two groups on opposing sides of the room? Even the physical layout of the room suggests confrontation. Government on one side and Opposition on the other. If an Independent or member  of a third party gets elected which side do they sit on? We are not a divided country like the former East and West Germany, or North and South Korea, or North and South Sudan, we are one country, why shouldn’t that be reflected in our politics? There is no North and South Barbados, with one party representing North and the other South, are you really interested in the improvement of this country? then let us have a UNITED GOVERNMENT.

Read full text of partyless system document

76 responses to “Is a ‘Partyless’ Political System the Solution?”

  1. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Piece
    That bit about the NGOs is nonsense. There are numerous credit unions, sports organisations church groups , etc that fulfil their roles adequately.
    That number of 1200 may indeed be registered, but is a non-point, as we all know that every new idea from ‘over and away’ is quickly taken up here. Many of them were non-starters to begin with.

    There in no real need for more than 200 such bodies. If 60 work well that is an admirable rate for brass bowl land.

    Bushie is personally aware of quite a number of Non Government groups that not only function, but do so pretty well with annual audited accounts etc.

    Most of those NGOs that impact directly on people’s money (like the credit unions) are particularly professional in their affairs…… and are policed even more vigorously than the Banks and Insurance companies….(check their annual reports)

    Wheel and come again….

  2. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ PUDRYR

    I agree with your call for the establishment of a new, viable political party. However, I am not impressed with Solutions Barbados, Barbados Integrity Movement, United Progressive Party and Citizen Action Partnership, since none of these parties have articulated themselves as viable alternatives, and with the 2018 elections only 11 months away, many of their CANDIDATES REMAIN UNKNOWN.

    On a Sunday Brass Tacks program a few weeks ago, DLP’s George Pilgrim made certain comments to imply former BLP members broke ranks with that party to form new political parties.
    It should be of “SIGNIFICANT CONCERN” to Pilgrim and the DLP that, rather than join the DLP, the former BEES formed or joined other political parties, which is a CLEAR INDICATION of CONTEMPT for the traditional two-party framework of the BLP and DLP. Additionally, Pilgrim should be “man enough” to inform Barbadians if these new parties have impacted on the membership base of the DLP.

    It is true that both the UPP and CAP comprise DISGRUNTLED BLP members, some of whom have been REPEATEDLY DISMISSED by VOTERS. Interestingly, the hierarchy of these new parties seems to have borrowed strategy from Trump’s campaign re “putting Barbados first.”
    However, if we look beyond the POLITICAL RHETORIC and REFUSAL to ARTICULATE their social and economic policies to take Barbados into the future, other than REPEATING Barbadians are “fed up of the two main political parties,” individuals such as Wendell Callender, David Gill and Mark Adamson come across as disgruntled “politicians” whose main objective is to “cut votes” for the BLP.

    David Gill, for example, was the BLP’s representative for the St. Michael South Central constituency. Gill “lost his seat” (1,934 votes; 47.85%) in the 2003 elections to DLP’s Richard Sealy (2,108 votes; 52.15%), by 174 votes.
    Sealy (2,308; 52.29%) once again defeated Gill (1,943; 47.51%) by 365 votes in the 2008 elections, leading to a “hat trick” in the 2013 elections (Sealy = 2,231 votes to Gill’s 1,967), in which the incumbent won by 264 votes.

    After being rejected on THREE (3) occasions by St. Michael South Central constituents, especially when one considers there was a swing against the DLP in the 2013 general elections, David Gill was still of the opinion he had an “absolute right to run” for the BLP in the 2018 general elections.

    Unfortunately for Gill, he was also rejected by the BLP membership, when he lost the St Michael South Central nomination to economist Marsha Caddle in October 2016. The “three time political reject” has now joined another reject, Callender, in the CAP.

  3. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    Have I been barred from posting to BU?

  4. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    I have been trying to post a contribution to this topic, but it seems not to have been missing. However, when I try to re-post, I’m receiving a message indicating the contribution has already been sent.

    Is BU experiencing technical problems?

  5. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    Comment was retrieved from the spam bucket.

  6. Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right - INRI Avatar
    Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right – INRI

    @ Artaxerxes

    Hmmmmmmm!!

    The site seems to be undergoing some external interference and some internal adjustments which are independent of each other to a certain extent.

    It may be that it is now being monitored a la People’s Republic of China as a bilateral service to the GoB …

    @ Bush Tea

    Forgive the ole man but I go by “the letter of the law” heheheheheheh

    You said NGO and a Non Governmental Organization has a strict definition where i come from i.e. it has to be registered as a 501(c) 3 to obtain that NGO status.

    If you are not registered you ARE NOT AN NGO and credit unions by such definition and churches ARE NOT NGOs and would not be given that designation by an international institution that funds NGOs.

    That was therefore based on “if you ent got a ticket you ent got a chance” but I do understand your position regarding “community based activitism” like the Meals on Wheels programs of a few churches etc., and other community oriented action.

    @ Artaxerxes

    When i was reading your comment “…David Gill was still of the opinion he had an “absolute right to run” for the BLP in the 2018 general elections…” I swore that i saw “Absolut right to GIN” and therein you may infer why he was not permitted to return to the folds of the BLP.

  7. Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right - INRI Avatar
    Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right – INRI

    Bajans are known “mouters”…

    We talk alot…almost as much as Trump Twitters.

    so lest Barbadians all forget the sins of Mugabe, this anointed “Prime Minister of Privilege”, IN WAITING, here is a special edition to Bring Back Remembrance of these purported “INFELICITIES”

    http://imgur.com/a/iJ0QZ

  8. Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right - INRI Avatar
    Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right – INRI

    @ Vincent (and the other BLP lovers of the clit lover or is that BLP clit lovers, de ole man is confused – you know it is time to go home, as shall we all, when you are reprimanded for saying things like that)

    Anyways Vincent, since de ole man is an EOE nooooo not Equal Opportunity Employer noooo Equal Opportunity Exposer here is one for both the BLP and the DLP

    http://imgur.com/a/6urT2

  9. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ PUDRYR
    Good try to dismiss the involvement of non-governmental groups in the political future of Barbados, …it may even have worked in a good debate …. but not on BU where there is a whacker in the mix…
    As you well know, the original argument did not require “NGO’s” – meaning the specific definition thereof, but referred to non governmental groups of citizens organised for specific purposes, and which groups meet clear and specific standards of organisation and governance themselves.

    Boss, there can be no POSSIBLE better building blocks for a meaningful democracy.

  10. Colonel Buggy Avatar
    Colonel Buggy

    A fellow on the block said that at long last , the Freundal Stuart government has done something about vote buying at elections.

    THEY HAVE BANNED THE IMPORT OF CORN BEEF!!!!!!!!!

  11. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    Hal,
    You should know that as long as you hav4e the legal certificate (and the LLB) you can practice in any Caribbean jurisdiction.

  12. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Alvin,
    It is more confusing than that. You need to go to Wooding or Mona for the legal certificate. In the UK you do not need an LLB. You can do a conversion, which most people end to do.
    We also have UK lawyers coming down and taking cases. In any case, most people in the UK with law degrees do not practice law.

  13. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Piece

    None so blind as those who refuse to see……..after the elections you will not see me parading any party colours as I belong to none whereas I can see you know on election night in colours prancing up.

    You are a disgruntled member of the political class who has been hurt and looking for holes,which is why in your world everyone must belong to a party……sorry to disillusion you but some of us can think for ourselves and see what is best for our country which at this time is to head for the IMF and the Bees are the only ones presently who understand that.

  14. Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right - INRI Avatar
    Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right – INRI

    Look Vincent, let me state this clearly so you do not get tied up.

    I am first a citizen in the Army of My God who ‘does not suffer my foot to be moved since He DOES NOT SLEEP” (like Fumble nor your Mugabe)

    I “sojourn” here for this finite season, at the discretion of such GOD and, during this sojourn, I have learnt much about the vacillating nature of men.

    I have seen kindness, been a recipient of kindness, and seen evil, been a recipient of evil and have also rendered “evil” to others (during less informed times).

    I am not past such “renditions” of unkindness and may never be during this incarnation…so this pilgrimage must be “an absolving of my sins”.

    I have seen both of these governments, from up close and, to be frank with you, they are both the same.

    One or two have a modicum of common sense but the rest of them are buhkvunts of the 9th Circle of Hell.

    Call it Waste Foops or Scions of the Nameless One whatever, the thing is that they are no different.

    Have you even had the singular displeasure of sitting down and talking with them up close and personal? Not one original idea IN THEIR HEADS worth what paddy shot at.

    That is what your Mugabe is – she is devoid of ideas, a consummate user read thief, in addition to being a despot, doubly dangerous given that she is interested in self alone.

    Fumbles, on the other hand, is a chvunt who, poor soul, “had greatness thrust upon him” and he jes dont know what to do.

    The thing is that they both fear “empowering the people” because they see that such will lead to their own nemesis so brilliance and genius are seen as a threat and such is culled..

    Or sometimes they try to pay $250K to get their names put on a patent as its author. Small doggerts men, or women, the pretend men type, the ones who so hate the form they incarnated in that they seek to destroy the very clitorii? they were born with.

    You feeling me Vincent? I know that i does get visceral at times but I want you to comprehend that I am not a bitter man, I just pity them and they know that.

    Having said that Vincent you first must acknowledge that these “so called leaders” stand in the breach, truly blind to what the potentialities and possibilities are.

    They are both the enemy to the nation and what should be clear to you by now is the reason that they must be destroyed.

    Mugabe is a gnat in the grand scheme of things but it is what Mugabe represents that is the cancer that has to be eradicated.

    The real ideas and “the movers and the shakers” are in the communities/the trenches but in this environment of thieves, rapists and robbers of Intellectual Property, there is no chance for them to breathe, so this festering sore HAS TO BE DESTROYED from within.

    Observe how when the ole man writes that it is now the gospel according to St. John
    You see how the fellers coming here and NOT ONE OF THEM says a bad word about the “Stoopid Cartoons”

    Furthermore, in accordance with my directives DEM now using Whatsapp and all the rest of the suggestions, for their E Facts Programme, A LITTLE TOO EFFING LATE.

  15. Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right - INRI Avatar
    Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right – INRI

    Here is another E-Fvckts or alternate fact for George Pigrim and his people to send out to the two mobile telephone databases of all cellphone users in Barbados

    Why they are almost like Mugabe.

    The DLP are sending out messages on people’s cell phones and Mugabe is still listening in on people’s cell phones lololol.

    “Jack Sprat could eat no fat and his wife could eat no lean as so between the two of them they kept listening into our private phone calls and peeking into our hard drives.”

    Just to reinforce my point about how dim and dumb they are “devoid of any original ideas”

    I hope the BIM people take the Stoopid Cartoons and distribute them to their peeples

    Anything that will bring the shenanigans of those fellers’ scams to the fore is going to be useful to wake up the ingrunt Bajans

    http://imgur.com/a/ftCwo

  16. Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right - INRI Avatar
    Piece Uh De Rock Yeah Right – INRI

    Here is some advice to B.I.M as it relates to “Voter Management”.

    A lot of what I will be saying is just plain common sense but in Brassbowl Land or Barbados, common sense is not so common

    You need to know your boxes, like Artaxerxes who was able to quote the results from the G.E’s for the last 3-4 years for Danny Gill, you have to have that information at your fingertips.

    Getting that information, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, having it verified in what is just short of a year, is a significant task because it means that you either

    (a) have the information illegally from the Census Department as the DLP has (the BLP too) or

    (b) you have the augmented list from the Barbados Water Authority that was collected under the guise of improving the Water Meter Services.

    Dem (BWA and the DLP) must be tink dat we foolish when they come and ask (i) who the house belong to and (ii) how many people in the house (iii) and what is dem name and age and salary (iv) and who is the cat father.

    Anyways, you need to get this information so that you are on a level playing field with dem fellers who using government confidential information illegally

    What all of you need is atomic “House Occupant” information i.e. Name, DOB, Sex, Address, Eligibility information, Constituency where they are to Vote, etc. (other info as well but this part is critical)

    The more critical issue is how you are going to get it rapidly.

    Neither Mugabe, nor David Estwick, nor Pigrim, is going to give it to you but if all of wunna Third Parties agree to “collaborate on a specific structured mobilization” this will do a few things.

    (a).All uh wunna got to start pulling together from NOW and stop this territorial shite hound foolishness BECAUSE THAT WILL WEAKEN YOU ALL.

    The face that you show the public must be one of UNITY, when any one of you third party denizens win, you are breaking the DLP/BLP duopoly

    (b).The “collaboration” for this purpose will be finite. Let de ole man explain dat word finite.

    While you all work and collate a central database, with all of the names like the BLP and the DLP have, what you will NOT DO is to share your intimate voter details.

    So, if you in the course of your mini-censii, learn that Jane Doe has a medical condition you WILL NOT share it with the other political party since that is your “People Centric Profile”.

    (c).The mere fact that wunna bring wunna selves together for this finite engagement is quite a herculean task in itself BUT, and here is the greater benefit, IT WILL CAUSE BOTH THE DLP AND BLP TO S*IT their pants.

    What this is is a “finite collaboration to access voter intelligence” which none of you have now, at least not to the degree of the DLP and the BLP, AS A PARTY!!

    They have coterminous data YOU DO NOT and if you gents/ladies can bring off this collaboration, “they” do not know what else you are capable of doing as the Third Initiative.

    (d).Wunna need a RDMS (Relational Database Management Systems) AS WELL AS A RDM Ombudsman, a trusted party who has a vested interest in the Third Party being successful.

    After wunna meet and sign the particulars, approach Former Prime Minister The Honourable Owen Seymour Arthur to be your RBM Ombudsman.

    Offer him full access to conjoint information for his constituency for who ever he designates. He WILL more than likely be willing to take this position to “hold the PLATFORM”

    I only going tell wunna SOME of the strategy here causing de fellers watching but this is not a “can be done thing” as much as it is a “when do we start thing”

    PM Arthur understands the issues with (a) the inept incumbents but more importantly (b) he also understands that, WHEN they loose, that the Despot Mugabe Wins.

    This is NOT an OPTION

    http://imgur.com/a/ve4vX

  17. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Piece

    You waste your time quoting from your book of myths,trying to rationalise your actions.

    I am a pragmatist and think in terms of the here and now and the future effects of todays actions.

    Unlike you and your obeah man sidekick I do not go in for verbosity……this coming election is not one for us to handover the govt. to neophytes as we have too much at stake,the duoply put us in the doodoo so let them take us out,we have seen one change its head and shortly after the electoral defeat the other one will change its head.We need to step up our activism.

  18. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    Hal,
    Both of us know what we are talking about. The purpose of going to Mona or Trinidad is for the legal Certificate to practice at the BAR. ONE CAN ADVISE OR EVEN Teach Law with just the degree (LLB). In canada one can obtain the Legal certificate which allows you to function as a Legal Clerk, but here again one cannot practice at the BAR, without the Degree in Law. But even English trained and educated lawyers, as distinct from Solicitors; a system that exists even today, one would need to fulfill the requirements to be allowed to practice at the Bar. Talk to Jeff about this.

  19. charles skeete Avatar
    charles skeete

    yes- we should be working towards ‘partyless’ governance

  20. charles skeete Avatar
    charles skeete

    Political parties have outlived their usefulness and to regain trust in our system of governance, the perception of accountability and transparency must be improved. To do this we have to take back Parliament from the politicians by having officials elected to parliament from the bowels of the constituencies to look after the interest of the constituents and not the party. Parliamentarians can be assigned certain responsibilities as members of various oversight committees or ministries selected from among the members of parliament. These oversight bodies suitably staffed by persons of varying disciplines would decide policy and forward to the technocrats in the relevant administrative departments for execution. In this way, it is hoped that the chances of parliamentarians getting involved in corruption would be limited if not fully eliminated and the characters of parliamentarians would not be open to abuse based on rumor and speculation… The various independent public service selection bodies would be restored to select persons for employment and to head the various government agencies. Appointments to such critical and important posts like the Chief Justice will be free of bias and gossip. There will be no need for a primus interpares. The role of meeting dignitaries and shaking hands can be assigned to the Speaker of the parliament or rotated on an annual basis among the parliamentarians. In this system, the role of the governor general and term limits for parliamentarians would eventually come under scrutiny.

  21. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Alvin,

    You are broadly right. Our division is between solicitors and barristers. We now have solicitor advocates, who can cross the divide between the two. One or two have even become judges.
    But you are right about giving legal advice. You do not have to be admitted to the bar to give legal advice.
    The legal certificate is only necessary if you want to be an advocate, but most legal advice is given in an office or in written documents.
    The other thing of course is allowing law firms to advertise and allowing various socialism: will writing, conveyancing, labour law, etc. But with lawyer/politicians ruling the country there is no chance of that.
    Before, you did not need a degree to become a barrister or solicitor in Barbados or the UK. Solicitors first taken on as legal clerks and took the Law Society’s exams; barristers took the Inns of Court exams.
    I know one Barbados-based barrister who has no degree and one top lawyer who took only part one of the solicitors’ exams. I have been trying to get the local press to run the story but the cowards would not.

  22. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    charles skeete March 26, 2017 at 11:40 PM #

    The elephant in the room is how to get this…… by having officials elected to parliament from the bowels of the constituencies to look after the interest of the constituents and not the party……..achieved?

    Where can we find 30 strong independents to unseat the ruling duoply?

  23. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    allow various specialisms. Socialism is on the brain.

  24. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Vincent
    Where can we find 30 strong independents to unseat the ruling duoply?
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Not by bumbling around like headless chickens crying “oh me…oh my…!!!” …talkins shiite about old studies and trolling the internet for stupid videos…

    It would require a coherent, practical, achievable plan of action – with identifiable resources, a clear strategic vision and a reference point to which most Bajans can refer – with positive feelings.

    But yet when Bushie and Baffy presented BU’s 10 point plan, you joined with the idiot from BFP asking foolish questions such as ‘Who is “we”?’… other retarded responses.

    BUP identifies a clear co-operative (community-centric) vision
    – It presented a practical implementation plan
    – Identified a critical resource needed (Caswell)
    – referenced a long history of a local success (Credit Unions)
    – and addressed the vital factor of integrity. transparency and accountability.

    But unless you can find some paper written by albino-centric from your first country (Hingland) ….you play that you can’t follow the reasoning ….

  25. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Bushie

    Pacha has already given you a cut ass and included a lot of what I would have said especially your use of western thinking to decry your pet albino foolishness.

    I already told you how your 10 point plan was based on a quicksand foundation.

  26. ndtewarie Avatar
    ndtewarie

    POLITICAL PARTIES

    If you’re out of the two main party
    You don’t stand a chance
    It means that you’re in the minority
    You cannot join the dance

    Political parties in North America
    Are on similar platforms
    Down to little bustling Guyana
    Done in different norms

    In the USA they have the ruling Democrats
    In Canada we’ve the Conservative now in power
    They have the Republics and Lobbyist rats
    We have the Liberal Party waiting for their hour

    In Guyana the strong dominating PPP
    Left the once domineering PNC far way behind
    Backed by East Indians as the majority
    Whilst the blacks back the PNC now in a bind

    These parties superficially try to do good
    But the lobbyists really running all the show
    Always leaving the opposition holding wood
    As the other side stealthily curtailing the flow

    They’ll go to any length to oppose any benefit
    Meant mostly for betterment for poor folk
    Behaving as nincompoops unfit minus any wit
    And making good policies a bloody joke

    Senators filibuster to delay any good things
    Brought to the table to be implemented as laws
    Yet behaving like a bunch of ding-a-lings
    As their own peers combat with oral hee-haws

    Like what they did to the Democrat’s Medical Plan
    For 20 years opposing it for opposition’s sake
    Denying benefit to every baby, women and or man
    As Pharmacists and hospitals just like to take

    In Canada we don’t have lobbyists so far
    As the opposition behaving like kids in Parliament
    Opposing rights even about going to war
    Left the ruling party in an embarrassing predicament

    In Guyana the ruling People’s Progressive Party
    With an Opposition still can’t find a real quorum
    Floundering in drug trafficking and transparency
    Too dazed with the influence of 10 year Old XM

    However, I must confess
    In this life here the little man has no prayer
    And the west is in a mess
    The two party system has failed the taxpayer

    Sometimes I wonder if the answer is Democracy
    Maybe Karl Marx and Mao Tse Tung were right
    For no matter how hard we try we can never see
    At the end of our economic tunnel any real light

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