One of the valid talking points to come out of Ralph Thorne crossing the floor is the opportunity it presents to strengthen the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), especially post 2018. The blogmaster has been mulling over the extent Prime Minister Mia Mottley is partly responsible for compromising the parliamentary system of Barbados and in the process good governance of the country.
Joseph Atherley like Thorne crossed the floor in 2018 to occupy the position of leader of the opposition lamented then that his political party was not given access to a subvention of $150,000 to assist political parties. In the case of Ralph Thorne there can be no denying that the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) – under whose banter he represented – contested the last general election. Should he be accepted as a member of the DLP, notwithstanding the unnecessary protracted process, the subvention should be released to the DLP.
The blogmaster is willing to wager when the late Prime Minister Owen Arthur supported the creation of the subvention, he did not in his widest imagination envisaged a member of the duopoly incapable of winning a single seat contested, in not one but two general elections. The question has been asked of Prime Minister Mia Mottley several times to the effect – in light of the peculiar circumstances that have led to the good governance framework of Barbados being compromised, why not cut the DLP and any other political party meeting a predetermined criteria some slack to be able to access the subvention.
Barbados finds itself in a very odd and strange place, a government with all the seats. On paper, a supposedly talented Cabinet; constant, almost 24-hour hyper communication from government and like Poonka and he donkey – all over the place. Yet an animal farm mentality pervades throughout the government using media to control the story, while the actual results are meagre. All the results bragged about, debt restructuring has come back to haunt us in the very ways that some have warned
DLP President Gives Gov’t Failing Grade For Good Governance
it is no secret because the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won all 30 seats in 2018 and 2022 it compromised the working of our parliamentary system. Atherley tried his best to breath life into the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and it must be stated his two selections – Chrystal Drakes and Caswell Franklyn – to the Senate performed above expectations. However, after he lost his deposit in 2022 the BLP has been making it up as things happen. Since then committees of parliament integral to a living breathing democracy has been in the ‘intensive care unit’. Civic minded Barbadians should not be happy about the continuing state of affairs.
While our esteemed globe trotting Prime Minister has been accumulating the accolades in the international arena, a not fit for purpose governance model continues to expose Barbados. Exposed because it forces political parties, including the DLP, to become more dependent than already is the case on donors in the private sector to finance political operations. Mottley has always had the authority to amend the rule that could make the subvention available but ‘Bigworks’ has been a naughty lady.
This is a from the heart appeal to Prime Minister Mia Mottley to make the subvention available in some form to political parties. What is a democracy without dissent? What do you want your legacy to read Prime Minister? Is it enough to include in your memoirs you defeated a porakey DLP party twice at the polls? That you borrowed heavily from the IMF and IDB to stabilize the economy? How about if the pages also read that in an attempt to avert a constitutional crisis and fix a hobbled parliamentary system, you in all magnanimity addressed the issue of financing for political parties. Prime Minister every other words uttered from your mouth are good governance and transparency. Time to support the talk with meaningful action.
Good governance with good intentions is the hallmark of our government. Implementation with integrity is our core passion.
Narendra Modi
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.