The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) in a surprising result won all 30 seats again in a snap election called 18 months before constitutionally due by Mia Mottley.
In the coming weeks there will be robust debate about how our democracy optimally serves Barbadians with a muted dissenting voice. One may argue a healthy democracy requires a strident dissenting voice. Barbados is traveling an uncharted path given the 2018 and 2022 general election results and BELOW 50% turnout (anecdotal). In the coming weeks our attention will turn to government’s management of COVID 19, the economy, the health of political opposition and a few other key issues.
Whither the political opposition?
The blogmaster congratulates the BLP on the win and offers the advice – to whom much is given, much is expected.
I have not looked at the online news for today yet but up until yesterday there were no notices of International congratulations for this Administration.
@Heather
You should take a look then.
@Sargeant, respectfully but if that happened (your 12:21 PM) that would be a farce…bordering on ‘a fix’.
You are aware that despite his removal from cabinet last time around that he is (was?) close with MAM… maybe @SS can affirm if they are related. I think they may be.
Regardless, based on the backstories of these relationship if he were to do that it would an indictment of the abject corrupt nature of our politics and make a more ridiculous farce of the entire process.
He certainly can’t need that extra change (he is wealthy enough) to the detriment of his reputation but then again maybe he would see it as a boost in reputational ascendency…SMH!
“what if all 17 of the reported disgruntled persons decided to cross the floor and be the Opposition. There would be a Constitutional crisis. 17 is more than half of 30. What is happening is a clear example of why there should have been Constitutional changes prior to becoming a Republic.”
Actually not really…if that were to happen then that would be effectively a ‘no confidence’ move and the new leader would take over as he/she would then be able to go to President with support of a majority of cabinet. Thus MAM would be THE Opposition leader…
None of the latter could ever happen….that would cause actual physical violence possibly.
The LT Col would be forced back into the spotlight much quicker than he expected, surely …. let’s not let our imaginations go totally crazy now!
@David
A better bet is Trevor Prescod.
++++++++
He is a loose cannon and may actually embrace that role to the chagrin of the PM. Do you remember how he promised to spill secrets after he was dropped from the Cabinet? The PM had to quickly assign a “make work” project for him on poverty to keep him quiet
@Sargeant
That is funny.
“What is happening is a clear example of why there should have been Constitutional changes prior to becoming a Republic.”
tried to tell them not doing so would cause it to end badly…NTSH…just another famous and consistent cockup…you are the one have to protect yaself from all of this and if ya don’t, oh well.
Time to TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN DESTINY…..and stop others from doing it.
Afrikan descents have OPTIONS….stop letting the dead and dying make their small island decisions because they put up the funding for vote buying elections..
“Under the Nationality and Borders Bill, which will now go to the House of Lords, the government plans to add a clause which will give powers to remove people’s citizenship without informing them.
The British government says that it could be used if a person has another citizenship to fall back on such as their parents’ place of birth.
The bill states stripping citizenship without notifying the person would be used in situations such as maintaining relations with other countries and “in the public interest”
Afrikan descents have OPTIONS….stop letting the dead and dying make their small island decisions because they put up the funding for vote buying elections..
money they TIEF FROM YOU …by the way…lol
HeatherJanuary 22, 2022 1:35 PM
@Sargeant what if all 17 of the reported disgruntled persons decided to cross the floor and be the Opposition.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You mean like de Reverent Joe crossed de floor to an imaginary opposition and ended up choosing himself to be the imaginary opposition’s leader.
You can’t make up this shit.
It is all pretense, not even politics.
What has gone on in Barbados is complete utter rubbish and all make believe.
TLSN
Since I’m the only individual who mentioned “Grenada” and for other obvious reasons, I know the term “BU’s chief archiver” is a snide reference to me.
On Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 8:42 AM, 555dubstreet asked, “How many other democratic countries have ever had Zero Opposition, Republic of Barbados must be the first.”
At 10:08 AM, I simply responded with, “Grenada.”
For you to post I “stated how Barbados along with Grenada were the only two democratic countries in the hemisphere to have achieved such obscene electoral results,” is a LIE……… a BLATANT MISREPRESENTATION of what I ACTUALLY posted.
I’m asking you if you’re going to refer to any comment I made in this forum, PLEASE do so ACCURATELY…… and DO NOT ATTRIBUTE comments to me that I NEVER MADE.
John January 22, 2022 11:16 AM #: “Look harder and you will see how it is overcome!!”
@ John
555dubstreet asked a question and I gave an answer.
Why should I have “to look harder” at anything else, especially when what you referred to was totally irrelevant to the question?
Look harder and you will find out how it is dealt with in the couple of times it has occurred in commonwealth countries.
One country would not surprise but the other would.
I did all this digging in 2018, you mean you learnt nothing?
@ Artax,
Piece would often refer to you as the superlative BU archivist. Forgive me for being presumptive in my use of a similar term to describe you.
With reference to your last paragraph, I accept your point. Have a pleasant evening, Sir.
@Sargeant “what if all 17 of the reported disgruntled persons decided to cross the floor and be the Opposition.”
If 17 people crossed the floor, they would not be the opposition. They would be the government, 17-13.
Cuhdear BajanJanuary 23, 2022 6:26 PM
@Sargeant “what if all 17 of the reported disgruntled persons decided to cross the floor and be the Opposition.”
If 17 people crossed the floor, they would not be the opposition. They would be the government, 17-13.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
How would they cross the floor with no opposition to cross to?
As pointed out, more probably they would bring a no confidence motion, force elections and hope to be returned as the Government..
Steupse! The Constitution does not recognise political parties.
There is no crossing of the floor only an agreement to support a leader.
FYI
“The PAP has held an overwhelming majority of seats in the Parliament of Singapore since 1966, when the opposition Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front) resigned from Parliament after winning 13 seats following the 1963 general election, which took place months after a number of their leaders had been arrested in Operation Coldstore based on accusations of being communists.[36] It subsequently achieved a monopoly in an expanding parliament (winning every parliamentary seat) for the next four elections (1968, 1972, 1976 and 1980). Opposition parties returned to the legislature at a 1981 by-election. The 1984 general election was the first election in 21 years in which opposition parties won seats. From then until 2006, the PAP faced four opposition MPs at most. Opposition parties did not win more than four parliamentary seats from 1984 until 2011 when the Workers’ Party won six seats and took away a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) for the first time for any opposition party.
Even so, it still holds a supermajority in the legislature, to the point that Singapore is effectively a dominant party system. With its supermajority, the PAP has always had the ability to amend the Constitution of Singapore without much obstruction, including the introduction of multi-member constituencies under the Group representation constituency (GRC) system or Nominated Member of Parliament (NMPs), which has helped strengthened the government’s dominance and control of Parliament.[51]”
FYI
“Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko maintained his hold on power after results published early on Monday (18 November) showed not a single opposition candidate had won a seat in parliamentary elections over the weekend.
Lukashenko has governed the former Soviet country with an iron fist for a quarter of a century and plans to extend his rule beyond next year, announcing on Sunday he would stand in the 2020 presidential election.
The 65-year-old has given more leeway to the opposition and released political prisoners in recent years in a bid to improve ties with the West after rowing with traditional ally Moscow.
But official data on Monday showed, on a 77% turnout, no opposition figure won a seat. At the last election in 2016, two opposition members won seats for the first time in 20 years but neither was allowed to stand again this time around.”
THE RISE OF CARRIBEAN FEMALE LEADERS.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jan/21/female-leadership-is-good-for-the-world-just-look-at-barbados
OUR constitution recognises no party. The government is formed because of majority support for a leader. Therefore if 17 persons decide to support someone other than Ms. Mottley, they form the government.
@ Donna January 24, 2022 9:52 AM
That is exactly how it is. The country and the state are not the prey of any party, but are subject only to the will of the people. A fortiori, parties that have been voted out of office cannot claim any privileges. For example, immunity from US law enforcement when visiting Disney Land or their own villa in Florida.
The whole debate about “democracy” and “constitutional crisis” revolves around the futile attempt to grant the DLP special rights that run counter to democracy.
We have all seen in the Senate what happens when democratically illegitimate senators reject laws like the Anti-Corruption Act.