No love in politics

EDITORIAL

IT IS LITTLE WONDER that politics in this jurisdiction has often been described as a blood sport. Discord is sown, once-united plans can be spitefully derailed, and differences can become so divided that the scenario of “the enemy of my enemy (being) my friend” can result.

It takes little reflection or analysis to see the strategy behind the formation of a new party announced on Monday; a party formed from among those who broke away in recent times from the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

The burning question for observers must therefore be: Why would young Kemar Stuart announce the formation of this entity, the New National Party (NNP), almost on the eve of the by-election in St James North? To boot, Stuart, though having long revealed his laser-like focus on the constituency of St John, is suddenly toying with the possibility of fielding a candidate for the upcoming by-election slated for May 21.

The implication is obvious. Firstly, a faction of former DLP members grandly announcing their formation as an alternative political party at this time immediately revives in the memory of Barbadians the disunity that has persisted among the Dems, despite the best efforts of their political leader Ralph Thorne.

The reopening of those wounds is certainly not a burden that the DLP would wish to carry into the by-election, even before the ruling Barbados Labour Party gets the opportunity to remind Barbadians of such disunity.

This is not to imply that Bajans have forgotten the controversial resignations and shutting out of members from the DLP Auditorium in George Street last August, but a splinter group comprising those erstwhile members now offering themselves as a choice to the people of St James North may, in the words of the Bard of Avon, blow the horrid deed in every eye once again.

Secondly, fielding a third candidate for May 21 will almost certainly split the votes, so that even those constituents who may have been inclined to shift their thinking outside of the traditional BLP stronghold may now be confronted with varying views and agendas from essentially three parties; an option that will erode the chances of a DLP seeking to restore itself as the viable alternative party.

Therefore, while the resignation of former St James North Member of Parliament Edmund Hinkson seems to have galvanised this NNP into existence, it is also clear that Stuart et al are entering that constituency not with any hope or even a possibility of winning the seat. The plan is clearly to throw a spanner in the works and – with a flattering stretch of the imagination – set a cat among the pigeons.

Perhaps in a General Election, such a move as announced by Stuart would have been understandable since new parties are known to emerge and old parties suddenly come back out of the woodwork for such an islandwide event. In this contest, however, no gains for the NNP are apparent.

A blood sport indeed! However, this is the essence of democracy and indeed constitutionality, where any citizen or group may contest an election regardless of motive.

Therefore, both known candidates, Felicia Dujon of the DLP and Senator Chad Blackman of the BLP, should remain focused in their campaigns on the crying issues affecting Barbadians, knowing that this by-election could point to whether the BLP has retained the overwhelming favour shown by the electorate in 2018 and 2022 or whether Thorne’s work in the House of Assembly and among the masses has borne fruit in the past year.

The issue relating to the rise in crime, particularly the gun scourge and the ease of access to state-of-the art firearms and ammunition, should dominate by-election platform discussion over the next three weeks, while the real pain felt on the ground by poor people – despite a string of economic upgrades and massive borrowing – is expected to also feature.

Thankfully, the absence of insults has been promised, and it is anticipated that the NNP will fall in line with such a wholesome agenda while leaving the rancour of the DLP’s split far behind.