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D for DLP, D for DUMB

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The blogmaster in the absence of third political party alternatives wishes members of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) well in deliberations tomorrow at George Street. It is a political party that has become largely irrelevant in the eyes of a cynical and apathetic electorate. For anyone who doubts the DLP’s precipitous decline check the results of the last two general elections.

Ideally Barbadians looking for change would have preferred the emergence of viable third parties given the apparent demise of the DLP in the opinion of some pundits. It is scary to unpack the consequences for our democratic system if credible alternatives to the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) are not found in the near term.

It is interesting when members of the duopoly explain that it is an internal matter when brouhahas occur with the party. What a contradiction to have to listen and view daily senior members of the DLP ventilating about the ongoing leadership battle and related issues being in PUBLIC. Is it any wonder the level of apathy, cynicism and lack of engagement by the electorate?

The video headlining the post from February 2024 showed an uncomfortable alliance between the political leader and president of the DLP. Since Thorne rejoined the DLP, speaker line ups at constituency meetings and party pronouncements have exposed Thorne and Yearwood are uncomfortably aligned. A recent revelation that shenanigans occurred with an invitation sent to the DLP by St. Lucia’s opposition party has returned the DLP to the centre of political controversy. Even if the ongoing imbroglio is resolved tomorrow it will take years for the DLP to recoup public trust it has the capability to govern Barbados.

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81 responses to “D for DLP, D for DUMB”

  1. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    No housing developments

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/04/20/weir-careful-analysis-done-before-putting-houses-on-arable-land/

  2. Funny Avatar
    Funny

    What. Mr Weir, do you believe what you muttered?

  3. Bajan Yankee Avatar
    Bajan Yankee

    David, Did Johnny Cheltenham get a date yet or he above the law https://barbadostoday.bb/2024/04/19/accused-warned-to-show-up-for-court-dates-or-else/

  4. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Everything is as it should be.

    In a small town of less than 300K like Barbados the politics become about the cult of personality, cliques, power games and a road to personal riches. Both parties are the same base of centre left.

    The public seem to moan with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth on issues and eventually this builds up to a tipping point so one party is voted out to let the other one in. Problems are usually at a micro level failing to deliver quality.

    I have always said that the 30-0 Parts I and II were more a reflection of DLP rather than BLP, as in one side were stunningly bad rather than the other stunningly good.

    Barbados politics are about acting like the Brits theatrics, pretending and playing a game to be pompous and wordy, rather than being honest and true to yourself.

    Mia is the real deal and not fake and Barbados will miss her when she is gone.

    Perhaps Barbados should look at the African Tribal Administration model to replace it’s legacy system.

  5. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    Well said David.

    I guess we can also say the R is for Ronnie, Ralph and RH ridiculous.

    Don’t have a clue what this meeting is about or what it is supposed to achieve but we will see come Sunday night or read come Monday morning

    @Hants
    I couldn’t believe it either. Defies logic on every level of thinking.

    Just observing

  6. David Avatar
    David

    The case was rescheduled, no surprise here.

  7. David Avatar
    David

    How is the construction of housing detailed in the article different to when Michael Lashley was dropping houses at Lower Greys in the heart of the St. George valley?

  8. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    a well articulated explanation.

  9. dreamstarworld Avatar
    dreamstarworld

    BRITISH CARDIOLOGIST DR ASEEM MALHOTRA GAVE EVIDENCE IN THE HELSINKI DISTRICT COURT ON APRIL 12, 2024 ON THE COVID-19 VACCINE & ITS DAMNABLE EFFECTS, COVER-UPS & CORRUPTION

    We are getting closer to “NUREMBERG TRIALS” over the biggest “MEDICAL SCAM IN HUMAN HISTORY”!!!

    Who will be going to prison??? How much “MONEY WILL HAVE TO BE PAID OUT” & what will be the “OVERALL FALLOUT”???

    #StayTuned

  10. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “D for DLP, D for DUMB”
    +
    DREADFUL
    DELINQUENT
    DEFEATED
    DISGRACED
    DIVIDED
    DEAD
    DOPES
    DUMMIES

    (original title was D DAY)

    There is no limit to their Dumb and Dumber Dumbness

  11. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    Is this where we have reached?
    B is for
    BOLD
    BEAUTIFUL
    BRAVE
    BRILLIANT
    .
    .
    We need a volunteer to do the
    C is for CAT
    D is for DOG
    thingy
    😁

  12. The OG Avatar
    The OG

    https://youtu.be/D0n8N98mpes?si=OZg-ccTRKToe8hJi.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    Any young members spotted?

    https://www.instagram.com/p/C6CdjmatbFG/

  14. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    Our commentators recently hailed Thorn’s defection to the DLP as the beginning of the end for our Supreme Leader. How wrong they were.

    Everything is going according to our Supreme Leader’s grand plan. Thorn is destroying the DLP from within on her behalf. If the DLP again fails to win any parliamentary seats in the next elections, it is time for the National Security Council to ban all opposition parties and for us to enact a New Constitution that confirms for all time the indissoluble union of the people, the state and the Barbados Liberal Party (BLP).

    Democracy does not mean chaotic public debate or artificial plurality, but strength, security and prosperity for the benefit of the people.

    Tron, Year 6 of the New Order

  15. David Avatar
    David

    Blackett Wants Thorne Expelled from DLP

    A heated Democratic Labour Party members forum has seen a motion tabled to try have the party’s new political leader Ralph Thorne expelled even as a party veteran appeals for unity.

    The meeting was called after major divisions in the party emerged marked by party stalwarts stating in writing their lack of confidence in the party’s President Dr. Ronnie Yearwood.

    One of those Yearwood opponents also sought the removal of General Secretary Steve Blackett and the party’s executive council.

    https://barbadosunderground.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/EXPEL0421.mp3

    https://starcomnetwork.net/blog/2024/04/21/blackett-wants-thorne-expelled-from-dlp/

    Source: Sarcom

  16. John2 Avatar
    John2

    Woww

  17. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    spinning top in mud.

    https://nationnews.com/2024/04/21/blackett-endorses-yearwood-no-confidence-in-thorne/#

  18. David Avatar
    David

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6C2CpsNvOz/

  19. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    It is tooo much to expect any duopoly to give any country a viable third party formation. These two things are at least difficult to exist within the same space-time.

    For the very nature of a duopoly makes it incapable of such. The writer should cite a single example where a viable third party has so emerged, lasted.

    Certainly, the expectation that Ralph Thorne and the dlp is to represent notions of political perfection also seems irrational, is unlikely to be a disqualifier.

    Remember the fight between Mottley and Arthur. That obviously did not disqualify Mottley.

    It’s clearly not a characteristic of the blp.

    That Steve Blackett and Yearwood, in the devious expectation that they, as micmickmen without any national standing, could use Ralph Thorne to save themselves was always fanciful.

    These serial losers should first learn to win a seat.

    It’s high time for both Yearwood and Blackett to be removed from the party aparatus given that their illegal and high handed plot at an internal gerrymandering has failed, spectacularly.

    Even as Ralph Thorne tries to ignore questions rightly put, the simple answer to what afflicts this party cannot be long ignored by its membership.

    Thorne, Blackett and Yearwood must well know that within a duopoly there can only be two strongmen at a time.

    Mottley for the Bees and Thorne for the Dees!

  20. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    Why can’t the Old BLP Ralph Thorne and the Old Guard DLP breakaway now and form a 3rd Party to represent an Opposition force. The timing is right to do so as it is on the cards that they will be evicted from DLP.

  21. David Avatar
    David

    It is interesting to observe the political machinations.

    Yesterday General Secretary Blackett introduced a motion of no confidence against Thorne to be heard by the party at a formal meeting to be scheduled one presumes? Will Yearwood and Blackett recuse themselves from the discussion?

    As the party becomes more immersed in legalese and process there is one thing nobody can refute, members of the electorate especially younger people are turning off from the DLP and local politics in general.

    The constant reference to the public spat between Mottley and Arthur is not an all fours comparison. It was not a frontal battle for leadership.

    The alliance brokered between Thorne and Yearwood by Bobby Parris was obviously not done in good faith. This was immediately apparent with Blackett’s behaviour. The actors involved should be ashamed for the spectacle unfolding in the glare of the public. If either Thorne or Yearwood was the ONE they would have found a practical way to make this work. The issue obviously comeback to new guard versus old guard politics.

    Some free advice to the DLP. The bajan public will not embrace old guard politics. Pick sense from it if you can.

  22. David Avatar
    David

    Conspicuous by her absence in the thirst for the eye of the camera is Senator Tricia Watson?

  23. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    I have minimal interest in political machinations.
    But. Thorne must go.
    He has NO BRAND.
    If, he was planning on crossing, and to the D’s, he needed to speak against B policies AND have a preferred alternative(s), before crossing.
    He had to show he stood for something other than being a passenger on the BLP bus. With a back row seat.
    Even a year as an independent may have provided a brand, political capital.
    All he has is a seat. Which maybe treasured by some where the party has none. Not enuff.

  24. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    RAT is too funny. The man is in an interview trying to convince the public that he was invited to a meeting at HQ as an “ordinary” member. RAT started badly by sidelining Ronnie(wh)O and appointing his nemesis Walters who is no match intellectually for Ronnie(wh)O. Doubt me, watch Walters in the senate. Oh well none ah my bizness.

  25. David Avatar
    David

    @NO

    Political pundits have labeled it a palace coup by mainly the old guard that Yearwood successfully beat back because he has control of the executive. All his work so far to rebuild is hanging on a thread.

  26. He needs Hospital Avatar
    He needs Hospital

    Ralph had a gun in his pocket and his finger on the trigger
    but he misfired and shot himself in the balls
    which must hurt a lot ouch!

  27. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    David, iRONIcally, this THORNy issue is more complex and clearly remains unresolved. The ‘old and new guards’ are each supporting former BLP members in their fight for leadership of the DLP. Material for ‘Laff it Off’ and calypsonians for Crop Over. ‘Nuff, nuff sport.’

  28. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Well!

    What is leadership?

    If we have had the two titans of the blp locked within a public and visceral fight where all kinds of characterizations were used, most unfriendly acts conducted, how can that not be a battle of ideas as to what leadership should represent.

    Certainly, Arthur was not inspired by the leadership characteristics of Mottley.

    And Mottley obviously presumed that Arthur was then ‘a boy in the yard’. His own words.

    If this did not represent the most overtly,, brutish, fight for the soul of the party, leadership, then what was its meaning?

    It is misguided to consider Yearwood and Blackett on the same level as Thorne. Until the former can win a seat somewhere in Barbados or Mars, Thorne should be in charge of all party apparati.

    For a man, who like Socrates, can be awaken in the middle of the night and automatically yell ‘democracy’ to now descend into a web of confusion by suggesting that a man who people widely voted for is to be bossed by a pair of idiots who the people rejected, merely because of the role of party officialdom

    Of this kind of thinking is the new wave of fascism made!

  29. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    David
    That is likely a fair assessment.
    The Red Bag can remain closed, as the unaided implosion continues.

  30. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    There are some good arguments on both sides for good debate. Would you feel comfortable if an opposition member crossed the floor (aligned with the rejected old guard) and immediately took up leadership of the party because of a ‘technicality’?

  31. David Avatar
    David

    Mottley was appointed/elevated/sponsored to the highest positions in the party by Arthur.

  32. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Pachamama

    But RAT won his seat as part of the Mottley juggernaut though, after failing twice under the DLP. So his “seat” status isn’t that strong in the grander scheme. LMAO!

  33. David Avatar
    David

    Sights and scenes at George Street yesterday.

    • Gallery Image
    • Gallery Image
    • Gallery Image
    • Gallery Image
    • Gallery Image

    Source: Nation and BT

  34. False Idols Avatar
    False Idols

    Insight versus Hindsight

    No Confidence in Ronnie was countered with No Confidence in Ralph

    Ralph switched his call for war to a call for peace

    Goodbye Ralph said the DLP

  35. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    So funny!!!!
    The world is balanced on a thread between unprecedented chaos of biblical proportions AND just the normal shiite chaos as we have seen increasingly in recent years…

    …and our focus is on local JA politicians, who have PROVEN their idiotic incompetence OVER AND OVER – most recently by their ability to spend over $50 million in UNSUCCESSFULLY assembling a few Chinese LEGGO houses..
    …and who are now about to hand more $$MILLIONS to a leading racist slavery beneficiary, for a plantation that should have been TAXED out of existence DECADES ago…
    Bushie said from the VERY START that Thorne should have started the NDLP…..

    What a shiite place!
    What a curse!
    If Bushie did not LOVE brassbados…
    – the bushman would be deading wid laff….

  36. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    If we cannot figure how to fix local governance issues then what is happening across the pond remains a pipe dream. Notwithstanding the splash PM Mottley is making which will at minimum be to her benefit.

  37. Frank Avatar
    Frank

    Not one pic of RY?

  38. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Enuff

    That is quite true!

    Some may also argue that Mottley only came to prominence under the juggernaut that was OSA.

    As you would recall, your blp was lost under Henry Forde, who was never going to win an election in Bim.

    Luckily for you, he had the good sense to see that. However, the two idiots of Yearwood and Blackette, imbued by self importance, cant see beyond their own idiocy.

    So, did the chicken come before the egg? Where does history begin and end.

  39. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    If we cannot figure how to fix local governance issues then what is happening across the pond remains a pipe dream.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Governance issues…??!!
    ‘Cross the pond’ ?? – Do you mean where EVERY shiite that we need originates…?

    Boss when the Titanic has ALREADY been compromised, ..it is useless to engage in debates about who would be best suited to be appointed the new ‘captain’.
    One may as well organize a full band concert on the upper deck … or perhaps a WCC /KOMI bash at Kensington….

    But stinking Bushie has NO INTEREST in such trivia now….
    Cause the Bushman will be busy looking for the available LIFEBOAT.

    The point comes when we must ‘let the dead bury their dead’….

  40. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Wake me up when something of significance occurs!

    Yawn!

  41. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Bushie!
    https://www.youtube.com/live/dprEvUoKJiQ?si=-440lnREQVo8eSOF

    Deh coming for us wid this cyber bill. From the looks of it, you can’t say shiiite nor brassbowl nor nuthing so nuh more. LOL

    Can’t cuss nuhbody! Can’t line dem in cuss!

    “Deh coming for us”. That is what the Black father of a recent GG of Barbados is known to have remarked relative to the 1938 rebellion.

    David Simmons seems to be recommending the wholesale transfer of the entire body of lawfare to the internet.

    Less freedom of speech in the place which was never under these people’s powers.

    Me see Thorne in attrndance.

    Pacha will be needing to trick them all. For it is less than clear how they will charge a boy not in their jurisdiction and what of the circuitous connections often made.

    In relationship to your earlier comment. You should consider seeing the unreality of BU as a welcomed departure from the real world.

  42. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    555dubstreet April 22, 2024 at 3:52 am “Why can’t the Old BLP Ralph Thorne and the Old Guard DLP breakaway now and form a 3rd Party.”

    Stupssseee!!!!!!!!

    Maybe because they are a bunch of geriatrics with one foot in the grave????

    Lord come fa ya world.

  43. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    We need a volunteer
    A is for apple
    B is for banana
    C is for cucumber
    D is for dasheen
    E is for eggplant
    F is for fish
    G is for guava
    H is for honey
    I is for ice cream
    J is for jelly
    K is for kale
    L is for lemon
    M is for mango
    N is for nuts
    O is for orange
    P is for paw paw
    Q is for quiche
    R is for Raisins
    S is for sugar
    T is for thyme
    U is for
    V is for vanilla
    W is for water melon
    X is for
    Y is for yam
    Z is for

  44. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    Thorne and Yearwood at loggerheads? Say it ain’t so! I predicted this would happen, if only I could have found a bookie to take my bet.

  45. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Sarge
    …and Bushie predicted that today was going to be BOTH Monday, AND ALSO the 22 of April…..
    This DOUBLE prediction was based ONLY on yesterday being Sunday, and the day before that having been the 20th….

    This prediction was TWICE as difficult as your ‘Thorne /Yearwood’ spat Sarge…
    So..let Bushie know if you find a bookie…

  46. David Avatar
    David

    At which point do you blame the general membership of the party who from all reports are disengaged with a diehard few participating in the process? We get what we deserve.

  47. sayonara say goodbye 👋 Avatar
    sayonara say goodbye 👋

    D is for Devastating Dangerous Double

    It looks like Lil’ Old Ralphie Boy has been well and truly Dumbfounded with a Double Whammy and Double Teaming for his Dangerous Dodgy Dealings and Duplicitous Dishonesty

    He was hit on one side of his 2 faces with accusations of bribery and then when he turned around he was hit on the other side with a no confidence motion to boot him out the new party that he had just joined due to slimy his no confidence motion and ambition to become the leader of the new party that he wanted to takeover and lead, oh what a shame, never mind, good riddance to bad rubbish

    sayonara
    say goodbye
    so long
    see ya!

    So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night
    I hate to go and leave this pretty sight

    So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
    Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu

    So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
    I’d like to stay and taste my first champagne

    So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
    I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye, goodbye!

    I’m glad to go, I cannot tell a lie
    I flit, I float, I fleetly flee, I fly

    The sun has gone to bed and so must I
    So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
    Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

    Goodbye!

  48. David Avatar
    David

    Good to see Thorne trying to focus on the role he elected to take up BUT unfortunately his credibility has been severely damaged from what has ensued in the eye of the public. Time to discuss next steps.

    PAC to probe funds for Oistins

    OPPOSITION LEADER Ralph Thorne has put Government on notice that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will be investigating how $5 million allocated for improvements at Oistins, Christ Church, ahead of the Cricket T20 World Cup, is spent.

    He said this was to ensure “proper accounting” of the funds as he voiced concern the money could be “used partially for politically unwholesome purposes” in the area which is part of the Christ Church South constituency he represents in the House of Assembly.

    However, Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr William Duguid said improvements at Oistins were planned under the former administration and that had the COVID-19 pandemic not intervened, the works would have already taken place under the current administration.

    Duguid also said the refurbishment of Oistins Bay Garden and its environs was not about “serving our own political expediency [but] about getting things right to make sure that Cricket World Cup is a success”.

    Guilty

    Thorne and Duguid clashed on the issue yesterday as the Lower Chamber debated the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies Bill, 2024, which is to “make provision for the efficient and effective staging of ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies, 2024 and for related purposes”.

    The Opposition Leader urged Government to justify the $5 million allocated for the Oistins works.

    “This is a government that is guilty of not doing proper accounting, you cannot look at Oistins, you cannot visually look at it and take out $5 million. How do you do that with taxpayers’ money? I did not speak to all [vendors] but some to whom I spoke and some visitors to that establishment do not believe that it will cost $5 million to do what the Government says it’s doing,” he asserted.

    “The constitution of this country, the laws of this country, have appointed me as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, . . . and I am in the course of having this parliament establish the Public Accounts Committee and I’ve said it publicly and I will say to my colleagues in here, start putting your house in order.”

    Thorne, who crossed the floor to become Opposition Leader, added: “If one says sotto voce that I am afraid of the $5 million, . . . that becomes a confession that the $5 million may be used partially for politically unwholesome purposes.”

    Tradition

    Duguid defended the $5 million project at Oistins, stating “it is a Barbadian tradition that if people are coming to visit your home, you would clean up the place, make it presentable and make it acceptable to those who are visiting”.

    He also said the previous government secured a US$20 million loan from the Inter American Development Bank in March of 2018, some of which was to be spent on Oistins Waterfront improvement And Upgrading Project. “This was a previous programme, all we did was bring it forward because we knew that Cricket World Cup was coming and we had to make our place look better. But if COVID had not intervened these things would have been done already. It is not only for the visitors because visitors are only here for a couple of weeks, it is for the people that enjoy Oistins every Friday night,” Duguid explained.

    He said the Oistins project went out to public tender, with a related Barbados Tourism Investment Inc request for proposals notice published in the WEEKEND NATION

    of April 5. Duguid said the scope of works included refurbishment of existing kiosks, washrooms, replacement of all the sanitary ware wall tiles, defective windows and doors, repainting of the interior and the exterior, new bathrooms, refurbishment of the fish market, improvements to the storm water system, repaving the roadway, and refurbishment of the existing benches.

    Duguid also dismissed suggestions Government was being imprudent with the public purse.

    “This administration is very cognisant of how money is spent. This administration works very very hard every day to protect the public purse. We are here as custodians of the public purse and we make sure that we check all monies that are spent and once we are satisfied, then the money can be spent,” he stressed. (SC) Please see also Pages 13 and 14 for more reports from Parliament.

    Source: Nation

  49. David Avatar
    David

    Is Dujon making a play?

    Dujon: Be patient with DLP

    ONE OF THE HIERARCHY of the embattled Democratic Labour Party is appealing to Barbadians to give the island’s largest mass-based political organisation a chance to get its house in order and get the main players on the same page.

    Third vice-president Felicia Dujon admitted there were challenges facing the party that should not have come out in public, but believed the DLP should get an opportunity to get it right. She called for some patience.

    “In light of recent challenges confronting our party, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) earnestly appeals to the citizens of Barbados for their prayers, support, and encouragement. As we address internal structural issues, your solidarity and understanding are invaluable,” Dujon said in a media statement yesterday.

    “As a society grounded in faith and peace, we are dedicated to effectively resolving these matters with the assistance of God. Reflecting on our nation’s rich tradition of open discourse and democratic principles, it is imperative to underscore the importance of free expression without fear of censorship,” Dujon, a human rights activist added.

    She noted that regrettably, recent events, notably the cybercrime bill, have threatened some fundamental rights associated with freedom of expression. “Nevertheless, as members of the DLP, we stand resolute in safeguarding our constitutional and civic liberties, urging every Barbadian to voice their concerns, even amidst disagreement.”

    Dujon highlighted the unique challenges the DLP is facing as it adapts to new dynamics, particularly the simultaneous roles of Opposition Leader and party President.

    “As a community, it is crucial to grasp the dynamic shifts our party has recently undergone, notably the concurrent roles of Opposition leader and party President. This signifies a new chapter in both our party’s history and Barbados’ political landscape. What’s particularly intriguing is that our members are actively immersed in this evolution, experiencing it firsthand rather than relying solely on expert opinions,” she added.

    Despite these challenges, Dujon reassured the public of the party’s unwavering commitment to addressing internal structural issues swiftly.

    “It is imperative that we rally behind our fellow Barbadians as they diligently work to resolve internal matters within our party. Your patience and support are invaluable as we navigate this process. Rest assured, we are fully dedicated to our task, even in the face of perceptions that may suggest otherwise. We recognise the necessity of open discussion in finding solutions; hence, we welcome all contributions, including from the general public. Rather than dwelling on lingering pessimism and gloomy forecasts propagated by political operatives, we embrace constructive input, positive guidance and wise counsel, acknowledging that our party is the shared asset of all Barbadians. Our goal is to foster a resilient democracy, bolstered by a dynamic Opposition.”

    The activist said despite limitations, the DLP was steadfast in finding swift solutions, as the party’s strength remained in the resilience of the Barbadian people, grounded in faith and determination.

    “Together, we shall overcome these trials,” she said.

    The third vice president added that amid external pressures, the DLP pledged to faithfully serve the people, safeguarding their interests and liberties.

    “We maintain a vigilant watch, with one eye on our party’s affairs, another safeguarding your interests and a third ensuring the protection of your rights from any encroachment by the BLP,” Dujon affirmed. (BA/PR)


    Source: Nation

  50. David Avatar
    David

    ‘GET IN ORDER’

    DLP INFIGHTING PROMPTS HEWITT’S UNITY CALL
    By Sandy Deane

    Unsettled by the bitter division in the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), Reverend Guy Hewitt, who contested the top leadership post in 2021, wants the party to get its house in order – and fast.
    “The fact that public debate is on leadership in the DLP and not the leadership of Barbados is a serious blow to democracy in Barbados and the public perception of the DLP,” he told Barbados TODAY, declaring that he is not taking any side in the dispute.
    The DLP is embroiled in an internal dispute, with veteran member Hartley Reid filing a no confidence motion calling for the removal of general secretary Steve Blackett and president Dr Ronnie Yearwood, and Blackett following that up this past weekend with a resolution for the expulsion of newly installed DLP political leader Ralph Thorne while endorsing Dr Yearwood to lead the party.
    Reverend Hewitt, who lost the 2021 leadership contest to Dr Yearwood, said he believes the DLP president and Thorne both have valuable contributions to make to the party.
    “I am reminded of Errol Walton Barrow’s comments…that ‘two boar rats can’t live in one hole’ but that need not be the case among committed leaders,” declared the former diplomatwho is based in London where he is an advocate on racial justice and inclusion issues.
    He contended there is no reason to exclude Thorne, who left the ruling Barbados Labour Party, as long as he adheres to the party’s philosophy and principles.
    “All Barbadians and residents should be welcomed in the DLP,” Hewitt said, recalling a prominent White Barbadian, Douglas Lynch, becoming a DLP member as an act of inclusion.
    “[I] recall that Douglas Lynch, who went on to become chairman of BS&T [the former Barbados Shipping and Trading], was the first joining member. A political party by nature is mass-based and should never seek to exclude any voter. That was a deliberate act by Errol Barrow that actually caused some to leave the DLP.”
    Emphasising the need for unity, Hewitt referred to a letter he wrote to senior party members, including Dr Yearwood, Richard Sealy, Dr David Estwick and Ryan Walters last August that urged his comrades to “look beyond self, beyond George Street, and beyond the DLP and find strength in unity”.
    “I have come to appreciate that often the battle of life is an uphill fight and that victory is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the courage to persevere against overwhelming odds,” he said.
    “The most effective leaders that I know have been those who have known defeat, suffering, and struggle, and have found their way up from those depths.”
    He encouraged party members to “keep faith and find the means of combining your energies, for I believe that conscientious people who work hard get their rewards. There will be struggles at times but in the end, if you stick together and to a true path, you will prevail.”
    Reverend Hewitt also insisted the DLP needs an effective leader with “a commitment to Barbados, leadership competence, integrity, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to unite what it seems is a clearly divided party” to defend democracy.
    Dr Yearwood has not yet directly addressed the current turmoil. But, in a statement last week, he reaffirmed his commitment to “rebuilding and rebranding” the party.
    In interviews with Barbados TODAY, political analysts have noted that while internal conflicts are not uncommon in political parties, a protracted public feud could further erode the DLP’s electoral fortunes ahead of the next poll, constitutionally set for 2027. The experts warned that the DLP risks being seen as a house divided against itself should the rift at the top persist. sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb

    Source: BT

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