It is official, the Reverend Guy Hewitt was nominated by the DLP St. John branch to enable his contest for the post of President of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). After the unprecedented defeat in 2018 a view emerged that the DLP must be prepared to give itself a ‘bush bath’ and to present fresh faces to the electorate in coming elections. In recent weeks the incarceration of former DLP minister Donville Inniss and utterances of former Minister Denis Lowe of CAHILL fame have caused many to wonder if the DLP has what it takes to take fresh guard.
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth”. John 17: 17
To be honest Reverend Guy Hewitt has equipped himself very well since his declaration to oust Verla De Peiza from the position of president of the DLP. In a recent hard talk interview with veteran journalist David Ellis he surprised many with his performance. It is ironic the main arguments from his detractors is that he has not been observing PROCESS. Where was he in the last 3 years. When the party need help. Why did he change his mind a week after saying he was not interest. Why has he been working outside the country. Has he been paying his dues to be a card carrying member of the DLP. Why did he bail from delivering the Errol Barrow Memorial lecture etc etc etc.
To hell with process. Tell it to the Auditor General.
It is obvious to outsiders – DLP members members regard the public offering a perspective on the interesting contest developing between Reverend Guy and incumbent Verla De Peiza as outsiders – the establishment of the DLP is behind Verla De Peiza. Without doing a serious focus group analysis, it is evident to outsiders the bold challenge by Guy is good for the DLP and the country. Win lose or draw, onlookers want to see fresh political entrants who are inspired to challenge the old way of doing things. There is a view the best way for anyone seeking to create change, is to lead the change from within. Those who have been critical of the duopoly and the ensconced culture that has produced two political parties bereft of ideas in 2021- if we are to judge from the current state of the social and economic landscape in recent years- must be smiling a little,
The usual talking heads will say Reverend Guy Hewitt is a political neophyte who has not paid his dues to be deserving of serious consideration for party leadership. On the other side of the debate, others will counter by suggesting leaders emerge in times of crisis and who will deny that the DLP is in crisis at this time? They will say the timing is wrong for the DLP to be engaged in an internal battle for leadership with a maximum of two years to the general election. Those pushing back will suggest the DLP does not have a realistic chance of winning the next general election, it is a better strategy to support purge-letting events and to excoriate political cancers once and for all. To date the DLP has not released a full slate of candidates to suggest to onlookers it is battle ready for 2023. It has been taking too long for the only credible opposition party to show how agile is has been since 2018 to resurrect the party. The sloth management style of former leader Fruendel Stuart appears to be that of Verla De Peiza.
For the ‘outsiders’ we want the best man or woman to win because Barbadians everywhere are vested in the outcome. We are not outsiders. The DLP is the government in waiting, especially with no credible third party to offer serious contest. Is the Reverend Guy Hewitt the man to fuse life into the DLP, a political party that has been unable to offer fresh ideas and programs to the electorate post 2018?
Time will tell!
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