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Senator Caswell Franklyn Speaks – Mock Police

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It was recently announced, by the Government Information Service, that the Protective Service Commission has approved the appointment of Mr. Oral Williams on promotion to the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police in the Royal Barbados Police Force, with effect from May 1, 2020.

I really don’t know if I should congratulate or offer commiserations to Mr. Williams. This has nothing to do with his fitness for the post. I do not know of his work or performance as a senior police officer and cannot speak to his fitness. My concern is that he has been appointed to a non-existent post, since someone is already substantively appointed Deputy Commissioner.

The Police Act, Chapter 167 of the Laws of Barbados, states at section 6:

The Force shall consist of a Commissioner, a Deputy Commissioner and such number of Assistant Commissioners, Superintendents, Inspectors, subordinate police officers and constables respectively as does not exceed the number provided by any order made under section 2 of the Civil Establishments Act: but the members of the Force at 16th October 1961, shall continue to be members of the Force and shall be subject to this Act.

The number of persons appointed to the post of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner is subject to primary legislation, in this case the Police Act, and can only be changed by an amendment to that Act done in Parliament. On the other hand, the Police Act goes on to give the Minister responsible for Civil Establishments the power, by subsidiary legislation, to determine the number of Assistant Commissioners, Superintendents, Inspectors, subordinate police officers and constables.

For completeness, the Civil Establishments Act was repealed and replaced by the Public Service Act on December 31, 2007. The power to determine the number of posts in the Public Service is now found at section 13.(1) of the Public Service Act.

The power to make appointments to public offices and to remove and to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in the Public Service is vested in the Governor-General, acting in accordance with the advice of service commissions, in this case the Protective Service Commission. That service commission, like all others in Barbados, can only recommend the appointment of persons to post that are available. There is only one post of Deputy Commissioner available and that is already filled.

Who is responsible for this cock-up? Is this yet another example of this Government not getting anything right the first?

 

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1,036 responses to “Senator Caswell Franklyn Speaks – Mock Police”

  1. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    This slog fest is getting very boring.

    What I would like to hear is – has a mistake been made, a law broken and if so who is responsible and what will be done about it?

    If there is no answer forthcoming I will have to assume that there is none than can be offered or that there is no commitment to accountability.

    This will lead me to believe the worst.

    And there is no sense in telling me about similar actions by the last administration. You promised to be transparent and accountable. We voted them out and voted you in.

    PS. I would also like to know the rationale behind the appointment of another deputy.

    This is a real “fair and balanced” citizen of Barbados asking some legitimate questions in a reasonable way.

  2. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Donna

    I can see only one reason why there is this mad rush to appoint Mr. Williams as Deputy Commissioner. He will be 67 years of age in October 2021. At that point, he must retire. If he is appointed now and his illegal temporary appointment is counted, he would have accumulated three years’ service at the level of Deputy Commissioner and that would qualify him for a pension and gratuity at the highest rate for that post.

    This is all about getting a higher pension, plain and simple!

    Sent from my iPad

  3. David Avatar
    David

    At taxpayers expense, do not forget!

  4. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    Donna,

    Let’s leave aside formulas like “complaint” or details of civil service law. Like you, I’m not an insider, so I’ll try an amateur explanation for everything.

    In the Inniss case, the Chief of Police deliberately contradicted the Attorney General. He didn’t want to start an investigation. The Attorney General made it very clear that an investigation had to be initiated because even police officers as insurance customers were affected by Donville’s racketeering, the question of “complaint” was not a problem at all. Nevertheless, the COP refused to comply. With this he exposed Barbados to the world public as a banana republic. In such a situation, every government has to either immediately fire the said person or – if this is unfortunately not possible for formal legal reasons – look for alternative ways. In our case the alternative way is to fence in the police chief with deputies of integrity in order to prevent further damage to the country.

    Read for yourself:

    https://www.loopnewsbarbados.com/content/inniss-and-accomplices-should-be-investigated-says-ag

    I quote from the Attorney-General: “Any instance where police have information that an offence has been committed I would feel that it is in their remit to investigate and bring charges where appropriate. I don’t think it fair for the Commissioner of Police to take the attitude that somebody must complain but the fact is that, I don’t want to think of it in terms of somebody complaining, I want to think of it in terms of somebody being a victim.”

  5. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Caswell,

    It is a common practice. But after attempting (and I don’t think the matter is settled yet) to cut the pensions of maids etc who retired medically unfit, leaving many unable to pay their mortgages and buy food at the same time, I do not see how in good conscience they can do this. As a senior police officer, he should be able to live on his former pension entitlement. At normal retirement age, it is likely that his mortgage is all paid, his children all grown. This is unlike those who have been forced to retire medically unfit.

    I have nothing against the gentleman and maybe he deserves a promotion and a higher pension but he is one man. There are many others to consider.

    Either we cannot afford to pay pensions or we can afford to pay pensions. Or maybe we can only afford to pay pensions for politicians and their favorites?

  6. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Oh shut up, Tron! I am being serious here.

  7. Khaleel Kothdiwala 2 Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala 2

    @ Senator Franklyn May 9, 2020 9:47 PM

    If this is so, as it may be, I’d have to let out a low sigh and wonder the cause of such a special relationship? I ask that not to be facetious or to doubt what you are saying or in a partisan manner but I’d genuinely be interested to know. Again while I can be quite sarcastic often in this instance I am quite genuine in my question. Life can be messy sometimes eh?

  8. Khaleel Kothdiwala 2 Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala 2

    I recently wrote a paper on that very subject. To synopsise it, I’m every aspect of life, we find corruption. And not simply corruption in the political sense but corruption in the general sense, as a deviation from what we think is “right behavior”. This happens in work places where some are more equally treated by bosses than others, in homes, in communities, in families where some family members sins are covered up by the other relatives (most sickeningly often by parents of the victims) and of course in politics. It is the minutest thing we overlook and the biggest political corruption we call out. It takes all shapes and forms. Everywhere we turn there is “corruption” on the earth. Every day in order to live some semblance of a peaceful life we look the other way a lot of the time. I theorized that the great challenge on life thus is to determine when we stand up and say “no this is wrong” and when we have to look away. Whatever I might think about you and disagree with you 99% of the time Senator, no one can deny that if you think you see wrong in the political sphere you call it out, even though I might disagree with you or not see any wrong myself etc. I digress however. The central theory is that as mentioned a sentence before and we have to make those decisions based on another variable. Every time we look away our soul “blackens” just a little bit, perhaps as your lung does. Like your lung, smokers by the time they die will have severely blackened lungs. But even if you don’t smoke and try to take care of your lungs, everyone dies with a blacker lung than that which they were born with. I use that metaphor to suggest that we will all leave this world with “blacker” souls than we came into it with. The challenge then in determining when to look away and when to confront it, is to make sure that by the time we die there is still some semblance of “pink left on our lungs” or on our soul. That is not only the struggle of a new politician entering with starry eyes only to face reality, but indeed the lived reality of all of us.

    That is all terribly philosophical and more than that, it looks like I claim great wisdom in pontificating about life, which is obviously hilariously misplaced considering my young age. But I write all of that not to pontificate but really to test the theory by seeing if it is indeed true and I’d appreciate input. Thanks.

  9. Khaleel Kothdiwala 2 Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala 2

    Oh goodness. That was two far too sentimental posts. I suspect it is the night breeze which is going to my head lol. I’ll try to stick with the hard politics lol .

  10. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    If one does not learn to pick one’s battles one would be fighting all day every day of one’s life and lose every single battle. One often has to look the other way and focus on the battle one has picked.

  11. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ the Genteel Donna,

    You are a lady of peace and respectability and i will assume that while you know of pease you know very little of war.

    In war, you must take the soft friendly nature of persons whom you may have conscripted to service and forge them to be killers.

    By muscle memory draw and affix your bayonet and drive it to the hilt in the body of the enemy in front of you

    Withdraw it and kill another one. It becomes more intense when you are in different branches of the Defense Forces of the world but in war people are to be killed!

    When you are engaged with people like you it is easy for you to make an informed decision based on the options because you are a liberated educated woman.

    Unfortunately, this is not the case with the hundreds of thousands of bajans out there

    They can write their name but if you ask them to put it into syllables many cannot do that because they are not trained to think.

    The upcoming election is going to be one based on dislodging a tyrant and a dictator who has in these first 24 months given the nation a small taste of what she is going to bring to these fields and hill beyond recall that at now the Regime of Mugabe

    There is not time to relax and “hope for the best” cause once your freedom is gone and the Brown Shirts are in place, you can cry breadfruit tears THE DYE WOULD BE CAST and you cannot recall the spilt blood of citizens or soldiers

    So every day HAS TO BE A PREPARATION and a SENSITIZATION and the disruption of the sensibilities of people

    People have to be in a mode of

    IF MIA MUGABE RAN ON A CAMPAIGN OF TRANSPARENCY then when would she be doing something underhand?

    It is as simple as that Donna, no sugar coating, no icing! and whenever she does faeces what that means is that she is plotting the downfall of all constitutional liberties

    NO OTHER REASON, NONE!

  12. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    “This is all about getting a higher pension, plain and simple!”

    I concur.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    Oh no, Mr AG!
    It can’t be tit-for-tat
    AG not for tit-for-tat with Franklyn –
    DAILY NATION, May 7.
    Newspaper headlines usually scream a condensed version of the text of the accompanying story guiding readers to the content.
    Last Thursday’s DAILY NATION story was a report on Attorney General Dale Marshall’s alarming response to Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn’s charge that contrary to the law, Barbados now had not one, but two, deputy commissioners of police.
    “I do not propose to respond to that,” the Attorney General said when contacted by the DAILY NATION.
    The paper referenced a statement the previous week from the Protective Service Commission, announcing that Assistant Commissioner of Police Oral Williams had been appointed Deputy Commissioner.
    With Erwin Boyce serving as the Deputy to Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith, the senator cried foul and described the move as ultra vires.
    He cited Section 6 of the Police Act CAP 167 which says the police force shall consist of a commissioner, a deputy commissioner and such number of assistant commissioners, superintendents, inspectors, subordinate police officers and constables, respectively, as does not exceed the number provided by any order made under Section 2 of the Civil Establishments Act.
    Primary legislation
    “The number of persons appointed to the post of commissioner and deputy commissioner is subject to primary legislation, in this case, the Police Act, and can only be changed by an amendment to that act done in Parliament,” Franklyn pointed out.
    “On the other hand, the Police Act goes on to give the minister responsible for Civil Establishments the power, by subsidiary legislation, to determine the number of assistant commissioners, superintendents, inspectors, subordinate police officers and constables.”
    Franklyn noted that the Protective Service Commission can only recommend the appointment of persons to posts that are available.
    “There is only one post of deputy commissioner available and that is already filled,” he added. “Who is responsible for this cock-up? Is this yet another example of this Government not getting anything right the first time?”
    Somebody then ought to tell this new Dale Marshall, in his second stint as Attorney General, what are some of the duties and responsibilities of the Government’s chief legal officer under whose remit responsibility for the police now falls.
    Dismissive
    And they expressly do not include appearing to be insultingly dismissive of concerns raised by anyone, including a member of the Senate – the other half of the two Houses of Parliament.
    The old Dale Marshall would have been acutely aware of the role Franklyn, as a former colleague in the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), played as Personal Assistant to a holder of the office of Attorney General, who subsequently became Chief Justice of Barbados.
    Whatever Marshall might think of Franklyn now that he is the properly appointed representative of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, constituted by the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) in the Senate, the Attorney General is aware that the ex-BLP loyalist is not raising this concern in his former capacity.
    In the civilised democracy that is Barbados, Marshall knows what his duties and responsibilities are in relation to queries from the Opposition.
    His response to Franklyn’s concerns, therefore, displayed an uncharacteristic arrogance, a trait associated with the previous administration which was ignominiously discarded in May 2018.
    It raises the possibility, however, that while Marshall understands he has ministerial responsibility for the police force, he believes any concerns about such actions that appear to be beyond the law – without a prior explanation and proposed validation amendment – may be better addressed to the intellectual author of the decision.
    That does not absolve him,
    Albert
    Brandford
    That such actions and proposals are being made in the midst of a national health emergency lends weight to the suggestion it is trying to “sneak” them through.
    Or, in the best British tradition, Government is using it as cover to “bury bad news” in the hope that people are so preoccupied with the health emergency that they won’t notice.
    Well, some have.
    Albert Brandford is an independent political correspondent. Email: AlbertBrandford@nationnews.com.

  14. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Ah see the fowls want nothing to do with the new world order of NO MORE MONEY LAUNDERING FOR THEM…..they already know that none of them will win this one…

  15. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Khaleel Kothdiwala 2 May 9, 2020 10:11 PM
    “That is not only the struggle of a new politician entering with starry eyes only to face reality, but indeed the lived reality of all of us.
    That is all terribly philosophical and more than that, it looks like I claim great wisdom in pontificating about life, which is obviously hilariously misplaced considering my young age. But I write all of that not to pontificate but really to test the theory by seeing if it is indeed true and I’d appreciate input. Thanks.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Glad to see the potentially ‘bright-eyed and bushy-tailed’ whippersnapper has, finally, learnt his first lesson on the road to intellectual maturity; that of Humility.

    Now, are you going to be modest enough as to concede to your Sen(i)or, Caswell Franklyn, and admit that you were ‘frankly’ misguided and carried away by your overabundance of youthful exuberance in your first real test of your still frail mettle in the political arena?

    Just remember, Grssshopper, that the only real difference between politicians is the level of intelligence that can be found scattered far and few between the voting public.

    Don’t let yourself be seen as part of the chaff from the political mill of party propaganda.

    Now go and read your Good Book for further instruction:

    “The elderly are the sources of mercy and divine blessing.”

    “Respecting a Muslim elderly is like showing respect to Allah.”

  16. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    “This is what Hitler did”.

    This is why “Informed Consent” is part of the Geneva Convention.

  17. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ Albert Branford

    You said and I quote

    “…That such actions and proposals are being made in the midst of a national health emergency lends weight to the suggestion it is trying to “sneak” them through.
    Or, in the best British tradition, Government is using it as cover to “bury bad news” in the hope that people are so preoccupied with the health emergency that they won’t notice…”

    And this forms the crux of Senator Caswell Franklyn ‘s comments on several actions of this Mugabe Regime!!!

    How, under the needs of a Covid-19 National Emergency they persist daily to sneak through DRACONIAN laws WITH NO LOGICAL REASON other than the fact that this government is a Dictatorship in the Making.

    First it was Barbados Today putting forward this same position about the action and the irregularities of the action

    Now it is the Nation newspaper doing the same.

    Many will say that your newspapers seem slow to join the Vigilant but de ole man is happy to see this new awakening of THE FOURTH ESTATE in this and other matters that will come.

    Because, when you have a Dictator like Mugabe in Llaro Court, bajans can expect nothing less!

    And just to think that Barbados Underground is responsible for leading this response in your newspapers by giving Senator Caswell Franklyn space to post this blog!

    The BU bosses must be so proud of themselves! Said with all the sarcasm that the ole man can muster digitally

    Heheheheheheheheheheheheh

  18. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    It is a beautiful day in my neck of the woods. The bright and radiantbsunlight help me toignore a temperature of 42 degrees.

    I hope nit is njust bas beautifuol in your neck of the woods.
    Stay safe
    Stay beautiful
    Have a Great Day Barbados

  19. TheOgazerts Avatar
    TheOgazerts

    Translatition
    I hope nit is njust bas beautifuol in your neck of the woods.

    I hope it is just as beautiful in your neck of the woods.
    Stay safe Barbados.

  20. TheOgAzerts Avatar
    TheOgAzerts

    @David
    Good point.
    It looks as if some of the items I was concerned about is being addressed. Terry Seemungal was a friend as our period of study overlapped for one year.

  21. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    One last comment….

    Just as important as randomization is blinding. Here since the drugs have different duration it would be difficult to blind patients and physician to the driugs. I suspect the drugs have different sizes, shape and color which would also make blinding difficult.

    Would be interesting to see the protocol for this study and if there is blinding. Results arising from an unblinded study has to be taken with a great deal of care.

    Google: blinding in clinical trials; unblinded/open-label studies; single-blind studies; double-blind studies; triple-blind sudies.

    Double-blind is the gold standard, but there are times when it is impossible to have a truly double blind study.

  22. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    This is becoming quite the little storm in the teacup with the usual characters. An editorial from a normally adversarial and a hostile Sunday column from a former Owen Arthur loyalist, all first begun by the good Senator.

    I have little intention of relitigating this based on the substance and who is to blame for this whole decision. In this comment, I will stick to my area of interest – political strategy.

    The best way to respond to a seemingly negative story and to enable it to die a speedy natural death, is to look as though you have risen above petty argument, which is what AG sought to go. The opposite of this was seen recently in a very public dispute between President Trump and a group of moderate Republics, including George Conway. Conway’s group recently released an advertisement solidly attacking the President. However, their reach is limited by the fact that at last count I think they only had $2.5 million in the bank, so they are unable to “wash down” the television stations, as Bloomberg did. so only few people heard of the ad. Enter President Trump, the anti-politician of sorts, fires off about 4 tweets bashing them and the ad, and thereafter hundreds of thousands, if not millions have searched for the Lincoln Project or “Mourning in America”. As he so often does, he failed to grasp the central rule of politics, that you mustn’t enter the boxing ring with a lesser-known, and less influential opponent, because whether or not you “win” the argument, the chief consequence of your action is to give free publicity to your lightweight opponent.

    AG Marshall however grasps this and has emerged in the eyes of the majority of the very very few who are paying attention as significantly more statesmanlike. The phrase of chief importance in that sentence is not “statesmanlike” so don’t bother latch onto it. It is the very very few who are paying attention, because they are a spectacular few who are really tuned into this story. The only ones who are are polemicists with firm opinions on either side. The people who matter most in politics, the ordinary person whose political opinion is a lot more fluid are caught up living their daily lives and pay attention really only quintennially when they have to. This story is therefore not damaging in the least. Cou Cou and Flying Fish wrote a surprisingly good column in yesterday’s Saturday Sun demonstrating one example of strategic cock-ups already occurring in the PdP. Strategy is very important and they ought to pay greater attention to it, lest they suffer the same fate of every single third party in the post 1971 political history of our country (with the exception of Haynes who we can all agree was more successful than any other for reasons that had little to do with his third party status but his own residual political support). Unfortunately for the PdP, Richie Haynes, the PM who never was, is quite different from the good Bishop.

  23. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    I suspect I will attract much opprobrious disapprobation for my comments on strategy and I shall be decried for looking at a matter that is so important for our nation as a potential breach of the law by a sitting government from a purely strategic political point of view, and that this is shameful and unpatriotic. Please note, that I frontloaded the previous comment by saying I will not relitigate the substance of this blog post, but I now seek to look at the issue from another angle. So unfortunately, that criticism is not available to you. Better luck next time.

  24. David Avatar
    David

    @Khaleel

    A reasonable comment to a point.

    Good strategy is also about counter strategy.

    Senator Franklyn for example is supported by a grassroots base, ordinary people to use your description- what if the Senator is able to massage his message to his supporters to show how the AG’s flippant and arrogant reply is endemic to how the government and BLP has been governing so far?

    The Senator does not have to win a seat of the pDP win a government, he only needs to be a disrupter, an influential voice to force a different thinking.

  25. David Avatar
    David

    Final warning.

  26. David Avatar
    David

    What is sad is that as probably the oldest person commenting on the blog, you are unable to pause and say to ac, let us take this COVID discussion to another blog. The intervention by the blogmaster is a reasonable one. It is why yo7 will always be considered as arrogant and dishonest by some here.

    Final warning to you do. Further comments about COVID will be deleted.

  27. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    @ David May 10, 2020 10:33 AM

    “Good strategy is also about counter strategy.

    Senator Franklyn for example is supported by a grassroots base, ordinary people to use your description- what if the Senator is able to massage his message to his supporters to show how the AG’s flippant and arrogant reply is endemic to how the government and BLP has been governing so far?”

    Most definitely. I agree that that is a very ripe way to frame AG’s response. Indeed, we see it already under this blog. In politics however it is always important not overestimate your reach. The accounting principle that you should overstate expenditure and understate revenue holds true definitely in politics. I don’t see or feel on the ground a significant level of grassroots support, so that that very good message may not have the reach you think it might. My concern for the good Senator is that Barbadians are very prone to tire of persons who they see as complaining often. I’m not saying he does. I;m saying that there is that perception out there, so eventually persons in the wider society may stop listening. That is a concern that I think should be looked at. Even if he has no political aspirations, he clearly is interested in speaking up about various things, and it makes little sense to shout into the wind when doing so. So he should try to broaden his appeal in my humble view.

  28. David Avatar
    David

    @Kahleel

    A reasonable rebuttal, it is why the blogmaster used the word massage. The Senator will have to work with his strategist to ensure his messages are crafted and delivered to resonate in a material way. We see what you have stated here on BU, some comments posted are deleted before they are read.

  29. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    @ David

    I guess we agree on that score then.

    I’m confused however. What do you mean in the last sentence? was that to me or to the people speaking about issues irrelevant to this blog? (Not irrelevant in general just to this particular post, before you lay into me Mariposa)

  30. David Avatar
    David

    @Kaleel

    That was a who the cap fit comment. You will get use to this blogmaster’s style.

  31. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    I thought so 👍

  32. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Khaleel Kothdiwala May 10, 2020 10:18 AM
    “The people who matter most in politics, the ordinary person whose political opinion is a lot more fluid are caught up living their daily lives and pay attention really only quintennially when they have to. This story is therefore not damaging in the least. Cou Cou and Flying Fish wrote a surprisingly good column in yesterday’s Saturday Sun demonstrating one example of strategic cock-ups already occurring in the PdP.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Would you consider, from your idea of political strategy, the selection / appointment of Atherley as the LoO from the duopoly made up of Tweedle Bees and the ghosts of Tweedle Dems to be a stupendous move of political genius or a major strategic cock-up?

    Wouldn’t GWP have made a more ‘superficially genuine’ LoO with the same AG you are now regaling with super intelligence as his sidekick in the vein of Robin, Tonto or even Sancho Panza?

    You still have not taken onboard the gravamen of the lesson you were recently taught in the ‘political class’.

    The so-called people are only relevant to the political process around elections to demonstrate that there is still a shell containing an inchoate pea called democracy.

    Of course, that catchall group called “the people” does not include the constituency you represent.

    Why should the members of your constituency be concerned about the nitty-gritty of daily political intrigue or even any electoral outcome when you do eliminate your risks by backing both party political horses in the funding of the same electoral race?

  33. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    You mean the Freundel Stuart lesson has been forgotten already. That strategy only gets you 30 lashes.

    When you seek to “rise above” we the people will pull you back down to earth in a hurry.

    Dah number doan play dese days!

    Much better to answer respectfully. Most people do not have time to check your accuracy, especially when they are intimidated by the law jargon.

  34. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    @ Miller

    What constituency pray tell do I represent?

    Anyhow, speaking to reality now, in my view for Bishop Atherley for him personally it was quite an example of political suicide. More than that, if he felt he had some obligation to perform the role of LoO, misplaced as it is, as he wasn’t elected to do so. Nonetheless, had that been it, I could appreciate that (it’s a hard pill to swallow) but then to form a party and express an interest in contesting elections is truly confounding. His two options should have been either remaining quietly on the backbenches or moving across to “fulfill his role” and then bowing out gracefully. The Bishop has had a very chequered electoral record, with three victories and two defeats. Clearly he doesn’t have the personal political capital to be able to go it alone. Of course his victory over Taitt remains legendary, regardless the Bishop is very much a swing politician, i.e. his safety is heavily dependent on the swing. If it’s big enough in favour of his party he’s good. If it goes against his party or isn’t enough in its favour he’s no good. So clearly the creation of the PdP is not going to be one that may reap great electoral success (I suspect none at all). Of course I don’t see the future nor do I commune with the Almighty to know it, so I can’t say definitively, but I would be quite shocked.

  35. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    @ Donna May 10, 2020 11:22 AM
    “You mean the Freundel Stuart lesson has been forgotten already. That strategy only gets you 30 lashes.

    When you seek to “rise above” we the people will pull you back down to earth in a hurry.”

    The two things are in no way related. Stuart did not seek to rise above opposition. He simply ignored it. More than just opposition he ignored everything. When he did speak, he condescended to people (garbage, sewage, single mothers and the list goes on and on). Marshall did not condescend to the electorate at all. You might want to spin it that he condescended to Franklyn, but as I said the good Senator does not from what I see enjoy the significant support that would mean that people react negatively if they see he is being condescended to. The major thing that is being missed however is the very very limited traction this story is getting from most of the country. The only people engaging in it are politicos like myself and persons generally with hardened views.

  36. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    There was a time I would insert the Bob Marley song but don’t want to interrupt the flow.

  37. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Does not always with agree with the blogmaster.
    But steering a ship with this bunch as passengers is not a stroll in the park.
    Might not always agree, but very supportive.

  38. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ the Honourable Blogmaster

    I concur with your earlier remarks and am on record for saying same about the commingling of subjects.

    Glad to see you now catch up with me heheheheh

  39. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    “…The best way to respond to a seemingly negative story and to enable it to die a speedy natural death, is to look as though you have risen above petty argument, which is what AG sought to go…”

    This is absolutely incorrect and it shows that you are wrong and never have been married AND IF MARRIED, that marriage will not last long!

    This IS NOT a “seemingly negative story” or someone reputed to have called you a bad word!

    This is about the affairs of governance of Barbados

    You getting confused about a conversation you having with Mugabe Mottley pun you phone about how you going respond to a blog here on BU.

    This is about the affairs of government which is no just one of your willy nilly talk shops

    And this is precisely the point here.

    The AG Teets was his usual dismissive self as he has shown several times in his joint interviews with the Commissioner of Police

    But when we look deeper we see that this is a Public Service matter and Mugabe is the Minister in Charge of that Ministry.

    So she is the Party responsible.

    Wonder what Williams exposed that getting him this gratuity perk?

  40. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Khaleel Kothdiwala May 10, 2020 11:27 AM
    “Anyhow, speaking to reality now, in my view for Bishop Atherley for him personally it was quite an example of political suicide. More than that, if he felt he had some obligation to perform the role of LoO, misplaced as it is, as he wasn’t elected to do so. Nonetheless, had that been it, I could appreciate that (it’s a hard pill to swallow) but then to form a party and express an interest in contesting elections is truly confounding.”
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Your political naïveté needs a bit of pruning.

    You see it as political suicide even if of the assisted variety.

    Those of more sober and balanced political minds would see it as the golden opportunity of enhancing his 5 year remuneration package and topping up his pension entitlements; similar to having 2 deputies to 1 CoP.

    Who else would you have fancied for the LoO? Your favourite law-advising shoeshine boy?

    So what would have been your alternative?

    Select another ‘red’ horse in this Hobson’s choice for the position of the LoO?

    Or govern in constant breach of the Constitution or ask the GG to issue another warrant to get a more democratic looking mandate from the misled and deceived people whom you claim represent the voice of Allah?

  41. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    @ Miller

    Well I wouldn’t want to ascribe improper motive to a man of the cloth and the good Senator’s political leader. But if you wish to do so, good for you.

    The people of Barbados voted overwhelmingly for a Parliament entirely comprised of BLP MPs. And that is what they ought to have gotten!

    Oh Lord, had I ever said that the masses of this country are “misled and deceived” I would be decried as the most condescending person in the human history. Indeed you accuse the AG of condescension in addressing a Senator, but when you all rubbish the people of the country it’s okay. How confounding you all are!

    Also, still waiting to hear what constituency I represent. You certainly seem to know me better than I know myself

  42. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    @ Miller

    While you revel in talking piffle and fabricating other persons’ contributions, when might I have claimed the voice of the “misled and deceived” people is the voice of God? I know that the idea of truth doesn’t appeal to you, but really and truly sometimes you ought to interact with that concept

  43. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Khaleel Kothdiwala May 10, 2020 12:05 PM

    You need to sharpen you political sabre a bit, young fella!

    Then we can use the double-sided sword to prise open that valise containing the indisputable evidence against the previous administration. What’s the hold-up? The key man called Sinliar?

    It seems as if you have more than just a passing understanding of the role of the Constitution in the governance of Barbados in which the LoO is an integral player; unless you perceive the people as now under the rule of a de facto one-party State.

    We don’t think the project of transhumanism for another age has reached that level of development to be employed in the appointment and functioning of the Bajan LoO.

    PS: We are glad to monitor your progress. Some day you might look into your exercise book and see the letter “P” for a passing grade written in green.

  44. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Toyr assistance again please

  45. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    @ Piece

    I already spoke to the fact that I am not dealing with the substance which I have addressed ad nauseum already, only the strategy. You haven’t engaged on strategy so for substance and I can only refer you to my plethora of previous comments.

    And no, it would be quite impossible for me to be presently or in the past married lol.

  46. Khaleel Kothdiwala Avatar
    Khaleel Kothdiwala

    @ Miller

    You refuse to engage with my questions and that’s okay. You clearly haven’t a response for them. But giving you the benefit of the doubt to repeat in case you missed it, what constituency do I represent?

    You are correct. I do have some grasp on the Constitution’s role in our governance and of the importance of the presence of the Leader of the Opposition. There are so many provisions of the COnstitution which require consultation etc with the LoO. However the framers were not ignorant of possibilty. Where the Constitution provides for the execution of some function by the LoO in relation to appointments etc, that function if there be no LoO at the time can be exercised by the GG in his (in this case her) discretion. So while it is an important office, the country would not enter a constitutional crisis.

    You haven’t engaged with whether or not the country voted for landslide government and whether then they should receive it. In that case, you ought to tell Piece that he should stop pushing for the right to recall (I certainly am not convinced of its need) because there is only one MP presently in the House of Assembly who would be at severe risk (almost certain actually) of recall. And I don’t think it’s a person Piece would want to see go.

  47. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Khaleel Kothdiwala May 10, 2020 12:08 PM

    Here is what you had to say about the decimation of sleeping giant and his DLP goons:

    “When he did speak, he condescended to people (garbage, sewage, single mothers and the list goes on and on). Marshall did not condescend to the electorate at all.”

    Now who or what would have caused the people to do such damage to the two-party political arrangement in Bim?

    The voice of God speaking through the people’s behaviour at the ballot box or the Devil’s hand guiding the marking of their X in order to pave the way for a de facto dictatorship in Bim?

    Vox Populi, Vox Dei!

  48. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    @ the Sage Annunaki

    You soon going get charge with manslaughter or that should be childslaughter

    You said and I quote

    “…Or govern in constant breach of the Constitution or ask the GG to issue another warrant to get a more democratic looking mandate from the misled and deceived people whom you claim represent the voice of Allah?…”

    This boy has a penchant for creating falsitudes and thereafter arguing them to be truths!

    For example he says that the people voted for the BLP convincingly!

    While we all know that the people voted convincingly AGAINST THE DLP.

    And what he does not understand and what you and Donna and Senator Franklyn are trying to tell him is that, this railroading of the Constitution by Mugabe Mottley is going to be the very thing that will make her lose in 2023.

    By 12 seats to 18 against the PdP.

    By the way, have you noticed how suddenly every one of them has come out on the warpath against Caswell Franklyn?

    Everywhere you look you are seeing them mounting a campaign against the Senator!

    So when Reverend Atherley demits office and Caswell is Leader of the PdP you know what going happen?

    Heheheheheheheheheheheheh

  49. David Avatar
    David

    This is advise Hal Austin and Mariposa have been placed under moderation. It means their comments will be reviewed by the blogmaster before being released, similar to how the Nation and Barbados Today manage comments.

    Why?

    Both were directed to continue a COVID exchange on one of several other COVID blogs on the BU front page, they refused. Nobody can claim the blogmaster has not given latitude for commenters to go off topic from time to time, what makes this situation ridiculous is the number of COVID related blogs available AND a dedicated COVID page – despite this, the two preferred to post on a blog dedicated to another matter raised by Senator Franklyn.

    At some point ignorance must be rewarded.

  50. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Your help again!

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