If ever Owen Arthur had a Midas touch in politics, it is now gone. There has been a certain political desperation in his antics, statements and disposition giving rise to a loss of confidence in his political abilities and a sense of resignation among the ranks of Barbados Labour Party members. The first sign that the political Midas touch has now become a dark blight on all he comes into contact with, came when the Barbados Labour Party, at his insistence, launched a series of conversations with the People which turned out to be a total failure as was predicted by Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
The handful of BLP supporters who turned up at Oistins and Six Roads totally stunned members of the party’s Executive who were walking around like headless chickens for weeks as the crowds supporting the Democratic Labour Party platforms grew larger and larger.
This series was a major miscalculation by Arthur and it is the principal reason why backbencher Rommel Marshall has thrown his lot with Ms. Mottley who, he knows, has masterminded the BLP’s victories in St. Michael in the past. Marshall’s statement is the surest sign of desperation in the ranks. This “brek fuh yuhself” approach has been further cemented in the eyes of BLP members as Arthur has sought to anoint Clyde Mascoll and engineer the disruption of Ms. Mottley’s career moves. This has fractured the BLP’s St. Michael team and easing through the rupture has been the unlikely Joseph Atherley.
Atherley has spared no effort in confronting those issues for which Ms. Mottley’s position has been nationally condemned in an attempt to restore a badly bruised and battered BLP image. But the public must never forget that Owen Arthur anointed Ms. Mottley as his successor and extolled her political and personal virtues just three years ago! Another example of the Arthur blight?
Added to these developments has been the unseemly BLP squabbles in relation to candidate selection. As if to deliver a kiss of death to the BLP’s candidate in St. George South, Mr. Arthur lashed out in a snarling manner at the DLP’s team describing them as “wild boys.” Was this a skilful blow delivered to his own people at that BLP branch meeting? It was the kind of rhetoric reminiscent of Sir Grantley Adams on the cusp of his political demise.
Arthur simply could not mean the Democratic Labour Party. No one could describe the DLP candidate in St. George South as wild. She is a woman of talent, integrity and ability that is unquestioned. She is a family physician of standing in the St. George community. Perhaps Mr. Arthur should have journeyed to St. George on the Saturday before that meeting to hear both the lyrics and see the actions of those who attended an event sponsored by and in support of the BLP’s candidate in a dark nook of the constituency. It was frankly shocking.
But there is more to the “wild boys” assertion than meets the eye. Dr. Esther Byer-Suckoo is not a boy. She is an attractive woman. And she is not wild. Why then would Arthur choose St. George South for his assertion? We contend that it wasn’t meant for us or against us. It was more directed within the immediate vicinity. Barbadians must read between the lines. There is more in the mortar than the pestle.
Owen Arthur is still wrestling, as he said he was in a Nation interview in 1994, with political demons. This is why he has introduced the metaphor of fighting to the death. This kind of language is that of a desperate, power-hungry individual and not a Prime Minister who has been in power for three terms with large majorities and using the politics of inclusion to further bend the weak-kneed.
Why would he want to fight to the death? Does it have anything to do with David Thompson’s pledge in Black Rock that there will be a Commission of Inquiry into the BLP’s cost overruns?
In recent months, it seems as if the Almighty has brought a sense of balance to excesses of the BLP and its omnipresent leader. Our advice to Mr. Arthur in view of recent developments over which he had no control is this: One must never tempt fate. “You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the the people all of the time”.
7 Comments
July 22, 2007 at 10:37 pm
DLP
Have you ever consider that Owen is scared big time of you or any civic group organising a march?
Like many others I have wondered why the Dlp have not coalesce around a particularly all embracing topic like for e.g – a march against land being taken out of bajans hands.
We lost the opportunity last year with the QEH.
I am reluctant to say a ‘march against high prices’ – since some would say that’s outside the control of the government.
Of course the march could be accompanied by that biting calypso – The Letter.
Think about it – you need to capitalise on the mood of the people.
Obviously Owen who is now the P.M. with responsibility for caricom – doesnot want to look bad in front of his colleagues.
Remember it’s all about – image (his),and legacy (his) and perception.
So think about it and move fast – Mr Thompson.
July 23, 2007 at 5:47 am
Anonymous is right – we need to march! Not just about our island being sold out to foreigners, but about many other burning issues. How well I remember our marches back in the 1980’s. I remember how we marched proudly right through Road View and Speightstown (and got a few “boos” from Burton Hinds’s people!). Then we marched in St. Lucy in protest over the issue of Trents Plantation and t’iefing Vic Johnson. (“I want a Plantation” – John King). Don’t tell me Bajans are more scared of Owing than they were of Tom Adams, are they? Branford, can you organise a march?
July 24, 2007 at 6:37 am
The issue of the Chinese working – presumably illegally – in Barbados has been aired on the BFP blog, on the Barbados Underground blog, and now on this. But you know the impression I am getting? Nobody in authority is listening. In fact, they appear to be thumbing their noses at us and saying, “Wunna could bawl till de cows come home. De Chinese is here, whether wunna like it or not.” The Chinese workers, on the other hand, who must be aware of the Bajan outrage at their presence, must be having a good laugh at us. WE NEED TO MARCH. In the meantime, make sure your dogs and cats are kept safe!
July 24, 2007 at 8:56 am
Ms. Margaret Knight you are absolutely correct but does the BLP not treat all issues like that and why do they do it?
They are arrogant could care less about what the ordinary Bajan says, because the Wealthy Bajan and Foreigner when the time comes will put millions of dollars into their campaign chest so the mergers, takevovers of Barbados businesses, real estate, natural resources etc and the tiefing can go on.
What I found more amusing is that this Army of Chinese could come to Barbados without work permits or a credible reason for why they were there yet were let in by Immigration as Sir. Roy suggested. For that to have happened the powers that be at the airport must have been alerted by a BLP Government BIg UP on behalf of Pemberton not to cause the Chinese trouble.
The idea of marching is credible but maybe the ARMY should visit every poor neighborhood and make sure they know how impoortant it is to get out and vote when the time comes. The BLP can easily be defeated but the masses have to do it. If they don’t then it wont happen.
I also think that pro DLP businesses and others when the election is called should fund buying flags that can be attached to vehicles with an appropriate saying on them like “ELECT DLP” or something similar.
These flags are very effective here during major football or hockey tournaments to show who you are supporting and simply clip harmless on your car. I am sure simple things like this can have an impact too.
What I also suggest is this, all who read this blog and who are patriotic and want to see change should start writing in under a caption like this “Were I Prime Minister here are the cahanges I would like to see in my Barbados”. I think it would be a very interesting and fun thing to promote. I also think that the BFP and Barbados Underground should also carry something like it.
August 7, 2007 at 11:48 am
The PM finds himself between a rock and a hard place with his timing of the elections, early thoughts of calling one right after CWC got blown out of the water with a dreadful hosting of CWC but this should not have prevented him from making the call as his senior minister Noless Lynch said that it was our finest hour obviously Lynch and Owing are not seeing eye to eye on the success as Lynch would state or utter failure as Owing would state CWC was.
Then we have the issues with corruption and stealing and moraless behaviour of those within his cabinet where he maybe waiting for scandals to fade away before carrying them into an election with so many scandals fresh in the memory of the electorate such as GEMS / JAWS, $ 300 million prison, the mega costing bath, the slot machine deal with Owing and Nicholls,the change of use of lands for a fee to Owing and company, the Glyne Clarke land use issue, the issue of non nationals taking control of our island and erecting barriers to our free movement, the issue of non national breaking the law and employing Chinese workers but not being fined as most others would have been done, like the paid arrangement between Owing and Pemberton for favours to be granted at a price but the public got charged up on the issue and set the cat among the pigeons, or the non national who breaks the law by erecting a chain across the road but then gets selected as our counsel to Gremany none other than Mrs Sixt from Queens Fort drive, the flyovers and many many others.
I have news for him, did he not get the message of cropover this year not a singlel Calypso said a single good word about he, Mottley, Lynch, Clarke, Marshall, Wood, Eastmond not one of them in his cabinet got away without attack in calypso, if this alone is any indication as to extent of peoples anger at this adminstration they will be lucky to return even a single seat in the house, people are so annoyed and hurt by this bunch for raping this country that they want the opportunity to rebel and speak with their X.
Never before have a group of politicians willfully set about to rape the treasury to this extent as these bastards have done and they have the gall to tell people they need another 5 years, to do what rape more ?
It seems to me any number can play but his worry ought not to be the timing but moreso cleaning out the evidence of his stealing from his office draws.
The timing is no longer an issue here the result will be the same, defeat now or six months down the line the outcome will be the same, so realistically lets have him call the elections and return this nation to a real and working democracy free of this level of corruption.
August 26, 2007 at 10:42 am
My sympathy to the family and friends of those trapped in that collapsed apartment building at Scotts Road – Britton Hill.
People are we seeing Arthur’s blight on this Nation?
Anytime God is relegated to a commodity,or as a dispensable item – we are asking for trouble.
Homosexuality,lesbanism,greed,corruption,abuse of those who have no one to help them – and a general decline in morals and wholesome behaviour – is the standard fare here in Barbados.
The scripture tells us:”God sets up kingdoms and he pulls them down”.
The church needs to open its big mouth – regardless of what so called agnostics, atheists and the so called ‘politically correct ones’ may say – and they should boldly proclaim the :’Thus says the lord’.
Some may dismiss this as just another freak accident,I chose to see it as an opportunity to seek God,and ask of him the many questions that befuddle our minds from day to day.
Choose ye this day who you will serve.
August 27, 2007 at 4:36 pm
August, 2007, will go down in the history of Barbados as a very tragic time. I could not sleep well last night, thinking of those poor souls trapped under all that rubble, and wondering if they could still be alive. Now we know that they are not. My deepest sympathy to the family.