Barbados has long been regarded as one of the Caribbean’s strongest parliamentary democracies. Stable institutions, peaceful elections, an independent judiciary, and an orderly public service inherited from the Mother country. However, a democracy is measured not only by the conduct of elections but also by the existence of effective checks and balances between those elections. In other words, a living breathing democracy is more than placing an X on a ballot paper when the bell is rung. The blogmaster continues to be concerned at the vulnerability Barbados finds itself. We are facing a Constitutional Crisis (CC).
Following two consecutive general elections in which the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won every seat in the House of Assembly of Barbados, the country has experienced an unprecedented concentration of political power. Although two opposition senators were appointed to the Upper Chamber, the absence of an elected parliamentary opposition significantly weakens one of the central pillars of the Westminster system we aspire to practice- the scrutiny of the executive by an ‘organic’ opposition.
The Westminster model assumes that government will be challenged daily by elected representatives capable of questioning legislation, exposing weaknesses in policy, and presenting alternative ideas. When every elected member belongs to the governing party, safeguards of our democracy depends almost entirely on a civic sense of what is right or wrong by members of parliament from the BLP, complemented by random stakeholders in society.
The last two governments are strongly identified with Prime Minister Mia Mottley, whose leadership has dominated Barbadian politics for the last eight years. However, the robustness of our governance framework should not rest on the health or integrity of Mia Mottley the individual. If for any reason, whether resignation, illness, death, political defeat within her party( just to support the argument) or accepting an international assignment- Barbados could face a period of uncertainty triggering political instability given our current state of affairs.
Legally, there is a process some will posit. The governing party would select a new leader, and the President of Barbados (who is a retired member of the BLP appointed by Mottley) would appoint a Prime Minister, the person most likely to command the confidence of the House. So that in law there is no vacuum. However politically, the transition could be problematic with history replete with troubling scenarios that might occur.
With every elected Member of Parliament belonging to the same party, there would be no immediate electoral mechanism allowing citizens to influence a leadership transition. A new Prime Minister could assume office without a general election, relying solely on the support of government MPs. While this is constitutionally accepted within the Westminster system of conventions, it highlights how potentially a transition based on internal party decisions could have national consequences.
Bear in ind our parliamentary working committees are already operating in an environment without an elected opposition, any stretch were we to have an internal leadership struggle would challenge the current governance structure even further. Given the low level of public confidence- the apathy and cynicism- at the existing state of affairs, a power struggle transition dependant on a high level of transparency within the BLP and other public agencies would see Barbados navigating tempestuous political waters.
Although our institutions have demonstrated resilience over decades, including its transition to a paper republic in 2021. Until a situation is tested, we will never know. It is the job of citizens to advocate for alternative systems- given the current state- that are intended to offer protection of our freedoms given the lacuna in our governance setup in the last eight years.
A living breathing democracy depends on competitive politics and a relevant Constitution, although not perfect. Notwithstanding that the two landslide victories by the BLP reflect the ‘voice of the people’, it must be obvious that reduced institutional checks within parliament has imposed a strain on the system of democracy currently being practiced. This current reality has placed a burden on independent oversight bodies, investigative journalism, civil society non governmental organisations, and citizens themselves to ensure transparency and accountability given no elected opposition. All of which must be pursued without the guard rails from freedom of information laws.
The blogmaster is of the certain view that the democracy we practice functions best when formal political power is dispersed to more than one political organisation.
As the country pretends to navigate economic, constitutional modernization, and public sector reform, we have to provoke and extend the national beyond personalities and political ties. It must focus on strengthening our institutions to ensure that regardless of who occupies the office of Prime Minister our democracy will not be threatened as it does at this moment.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.