Don’t let anything spoil your Christmas!
Think as a positive Barbadian and reach for the stars. Change is coming your way. That is our message to the people of Barbados at this Christmas even though thinking Barbadians would be extremely disturbed by the statements made by the Prime Minister last Sunday at his nomination, suggesting that it is his desire to remain in office for life. While the rabid BLP acolytes and How Great Thou Art singers may have lost their ability to reflect on the dangers of this statement, the rest of Barbados has to take the words Arthur used seriously. These statements portend badly for politics in Barbados and his comments are unprecedented in the modern history of our parliamentary system.
Arthur’s statement that he is motivated in a special way to “ensure that the DLP never governs Barbados again” has disturbed many Barbadians since the system we practice is a multi-party system and if the Democratic Labour Party or any other political institution is permanently kept from power this means that Arthur and his outgoing Barbados Labour Party will permanently govern the affairs of this country. How would he and the BLP achieve this?
We have found Arthur’s statements sound frighteningly similar to those uttered by Forbes Burnham some years ago. These statements are particularly distressing in the context of a government, which only last month attempted to impose legislation that would have tinkered with the constitutional protection guaranteed to Civil Servants and moreover is committed to the pursuit of a Republic here. The signs are clear and the dangers are ever-present.
Arthur’s obvious obsession with the retention of power is in many ways what we have been talking about for some time now and is exacerbated by the fact his stated reason for wanting to hold office is a desire to keep the DLP away from office. This is an admission that there is no good reason to re-elect him. Clearly, he recognises that his record is poor and does not warrant re-election, hence he now tries to scare the people of Barbados into believing that the DLP is the problem, in the hope that he will be given a fourth term.
These statements reveal much about Arthur’s strategy which for the last 13 years has distracted the population by focusing excessively on the DLP, while he and his BLP have been mismanaging this country with alarming consequences. $750 million in cost over-runs, the deterioration of our public services, the treatment of the poor, the failure to solve little problems while focussing on the needs of the BLP’s supporters.
The DLP has previously and successfully managed the affairs of this country and we are now once more ready to resume this role. Our leadership is clearly now more critical if we are to save Barbados from these BLP power-hungry fanatics that are concerned only with power and not with our national development.
As we offer ourselves we do so with full regard and respect for the principles of democracy which inevitably will work both for and against political parties from time to time. The DLP has experienced the best of times as well as political adversity; however we have always respected the wishes of the electorate and will never seek to impose ourselves on the people of Barbados for longer than the people of Barbados desire our leadership. The Prime Minister would do well to remember that he was elected by the people of Barbados and that Barbados does not belong to him or the Barbados Labour Party.
It is unfortunate that this Christmas season is shrouded by such dark clouds on the horizon. For Christmas should be seen as a time of hope and joy – a time of giving and generosity. Despite the challenges ahead, we will keep the faith with the people of Barbados always trusting in the Almighty.
We wish all Barbadians a merry Christmas.
3 Comments
December 20, 2007 at 8:39 am
When an incumbent Prime Minister, suggest that it is his intention, to ensure that the only opposition party – capable of governing – is never elected to Government, it is a serious cause for concern.
Even if one accepts, that a certain amount of hyperbole is expected during electioneering, one balances that, with the expectation, that a leader of an elected Government, is often expected to be circumspect.
I never thought of our Prime Minister as a spoiler. I expect of him to say, why he wants to lead Barbados, and uppermost in his mind should be not to oppose for opposition sake, but to improve Barbados, and make it a better place for us and future generations.
His legacy then, will be that he served his country well, he was a man above the ordinary. He was able to bring all shades of complexion, and strata of society under one banner, thinking of themselves as Barbadians first, knowing that the Prime Minister held the light of justice, honesty and fair play, which shone like a beacon for all to see. But for ones main focus just to oppose to deny another, I have my doubts if that is something of worth to aspire to.
We must remember that he is speaking of a Party, one of whose previous leaders brought us to independence, and swept away many of the injustices that permeated Barbados society at the time, he is speaking of a Party which gave us National Heroes, whose actions have stood the test of time.
I will not venture into the area of personal invective here, much as I am minded to, I will only note, that the Government is appealing to the electorate, not on what they have done, but on what the Opposition is not capable of doing, what a sad indictment, after more than a decade of governance.
December 20, 2007 at 5:45 pm
This desire for a one party state does not surprise me when a year ago Arthur’s buddy RoyalRumble was calling him
“Prime Minister for Life and Father of First world Barbados.”
These utterances have serious connotations and were an early warning of the Imperialistic ambitions of wannabe King…Arthur andhis faithful Knights.
God bless Bim on Election day with a change for a better Democratic (DLP) Government.
The DLP and the BLP were the foundations of Democracy in Barbados but now Arthur and his Knights want to Rule for ever. Never happen.
As great as this strategy is ( calling an election in the Christmas and new year season) this time I think Bajans will take the “gifts” and vote with their heads.
December 21, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Arthur’s statement of wanting to rule for ever- this alone should be the plank on which Bajans should remove the BLP from office.
As the Sanhedrin said “What further need have we of witnesses? We have heard the blasphemy.”