‘Little regard’ for third parties

By Antoinette Connell antoinetteconnell@nationnews.com

In 2018, under the rule of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), there emerged a slew of political parties and candidates mounting a challenge to the organisation whose leader, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, held out to the very end before announcing elections.

Many budding politicians along with the seasoned ones sensed Barbados’ utter displeasure with the ruling party and capitalised on any and all of the DLP’s manifested weaknesses. The perception of the DLP was so dismal that from the sex worker to the civil engineer imagined that they could do much better and so began the tossing of hats into the election ring.

As the election reached its final days seven years ago – alongside the two established institutions, the DLP and the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) – was the emergence of at least seven parties.

From that crowded electoral field, the voters had the choice of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Solutions Barbados, Barbados Integrity Movement, Bajan Free Party, People’s Democratic Congress, Kingdom Government of Barbados and the Progressive Conservative Party and some independents. The UPP had merged in 2017 with the barely existing Citizens Action Partnership, founded by former Member of Parliament Wendell Callender.

Back then, analyst and pollster Peter Wickham dismissed the new parties after saying “there are now more third parties or new parties than there have been before”.

He attributed their appearance to the rise of social media and the belief that there was an opportunity for exploitation.

Neither the new parties nor the independents made any impact and the BLP swept all 30 constituencies twice – 2018 and 2022.

Several years on, Wickham still believes that Barbadians have little regard for third parties and he fears the just launched Conservative Barbados Loyalist Party (CBLP) will suffer a similar fate of all the others.

“I understand why it is happening as there is clearly a level of dissatisfaction that people have with the idea of the DLP as the alternative and I think that there is a feeling amongst some people

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Bishop Joseph Atherley went on to become Leader of the Opposition and then formed the People’s Party for Democracy and Development

(PdP).

(FP)

Pollster and political scientist Peter

Wickham.

(FP)

From Page 18A.

that it is not the right alternative. They (DLP members) are not behaving well and there is the feeling that you can marshal that effort in there.

“What is worse, is that these new parties are only entrenching the BLP more and more. So for people who feel that democracy is being served by all of these alternative parties, the reality is that they are not helping,” he observed.

He also said the BLP had not fallen that far out of favour with the populace as to create the conditions that led to the 2018 explosion of what could be cautiously described as political parties. However, it was noted that the appearance of CBLP had ignited discussion on third parties.

“This third party conversation is one that we’ve had so many times and I have little interest in third parties because Barbadians have not taken them seriously over the years, the only third party they have ever taken seriously is the National Democratic Party (NDP) and even that had its lifespan,” said Wickham.

Three defectors

The NDP, led by then Dr Richie Haynes (later Sir Richard) the holder of the St Michael South Central seat, was established in 1989 as a result of a fallout within the DLP. Haynes formed the party with three other defectors and immediately became the official Opposition, ousting the three-member BLP parliamentary group.

It failed to capture any seats in the 1991 elections and Haynes regained his seat in the 1994 elections but the party eventually faded and did not feature in further polling events.

This third party, Wickham said will achieve even less.

“It reminds me of the Kingdom Government party because it has a similar perspective and none of them was able to save their deposits. There’s not a lot to be said. I wouldn’t take it too seriously because the people of Barbados do not take third parties seriously.”

Like Haynes, Bishop Joseph Atherley defected from the ruling party and went on to become Leader of the Opposition just a week after the BLP’s clean sweep of 2018. His choice of the experienced Caswell Franklyn and the youthful but sound economist Crystal Drakes for the Senate proved worthwhile and a year later he formed the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP).

New party

However, by time of the election of 2022, the PdP merged with the UPP to form the Alliance Party for Progress.

It failed win a seat and like the other third parties, receded into the background, though Atherley’s voice, as a former Opposition Leader is still sought on issues and Drakes was re-appointed to the Senate as an Independent.

The failing of NDP and the UPP, both of which had sitting members at some stage, gives weight to Wickham and other political scientists’ views on third parties survival rate in Barbados.

Against that background, Wickham stated: “What would serve democracy is if the DLP got its act together and started behaving like a party that is serious about getting back into office and creating a balance.”

FLASHBACK: DR RICHIE HAYNES

(second right), flanked by colleagues (from left) Edgar Bourne, Peter Miller and Richard Byer announcing the aims of the National Democratic Party. (FP)