Signing up for May 21

By-election posters and billboards are popping up across parts of St James North.

Yesterday, the Weekend Nation spotted posters of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for Felicia Dujon and images and billboards of her opponent Chad Blackman, who is contesting the seat on behalf of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP).

No posters of candidates, Alex Mitchell, of the Bajan Free Party or Community Empowerment Party’s, Steffanie Williams, were seen in the area. The seat has been vacant since the resignation of former BLP Member of Parliament Edmund Hinkson on April 25. Constituents are expected to go to the polls on May 21. (TG)

(Pictures by Jameel Springer.)

Please see also Pages 6 & 7.

Barbados. For example, she proposed that single parents be offered a subsidy to cope. She also spoke about the street lights.

“In addition, there are buses running along the coast, but people live higher up in the hills and have to walk for long distances from the bus pole to their homes, and at night. It’s a matter of security. These are all issues Dujon raised,” he said.

At Lower Carlton, Blackman was not at the office when the team visited, but out in the community speaking to constituents.

However, campaign manager and Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw addressed the destruction of their posters.

‘Torn down’

“Just two days ago, after our posters had gone up, I drove around the constituency and noticed that Chad’s posters had been torn down. I know they are not being torn down by BLP supporters or people who intend to vote for Chad Blackman on Election Day.

“We’ve not made a big deal about it. We have simply said to our teams go back out and refresh the posters that have been torn down,” Bradshaw said.

She added: “I want to make it clear that the BLP does not operate in that way. We are not interested in tearing down any posters. So I found it shocking to wake up to hear reports that our teams are taking down Felicia Dujon’s posters.”

Bradshaw said they were striving for a clean campaign and accused their opponents of disparaging Blackman’s health.

“Generally, it’s been a very positive campaign, but on the other side, there have been a number of attacks being made on Chad personally. It is unfortunate that the other side is taking these kinds of cheap political shots at Chad’s disclosure about his health.

“I think it is unfortunate that a political organisation would use what he has said in such a negative way,” Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw, who is also the Minister of Transport, responded to criticisms that they were only fixing roads in the constituency for the byelection.

“I would rubbish those comments from the other side . . . . We do not have the luxury of being able to pick and choose which constituencies get roads, unlike the other side.

“We have been determined to proportion roadworks across the country for the benefit of all Barbadians. This constituency has benefited from the Mill and Pave programme last year. We had almost 16 roads that were done in St James North alone. Many of them were connecting roads between the Ronald Map Highway and Highway 1 and we will continue to do roads within the inner communities as part of the focus roads programme,” she added.

Please see also Pages 18&19.