BARBADOS ADVOCATE - 2005

DENIS KELLMAN’S COLUMN- THE DEBATE

Some people have been meeting me and admitting that I am no political neophyte as believed by my comrades and opponents. They are now saying that they understand why persons have been behaving as if I have nothing relevant to say and want to know why the Party’s column does not mention anything said by me.

They are saying that they can now appreciate why I said in 2001 that I am not interested in the Party’s leadership and they now appreciate that in order for the Party to go forward, the elders must take control of the party’s leadership.

The confusion created by the supporters of candidates for party leadership must stop and senior members of the party who do not have elected political ambition, must put party before self and help to protect this great political party.

The elders must understand that they have a role to play and at this stage of our development. We need all hands on deck as occurred in the St. Thomas By-Election, when I was able to get the elders to come out and assist the party in making a significant dent in the BLP Stronghold. Everyone must understand that the Democratic Labour Party has done well for them and for the country and what is needed is for them to show their support at a time when such a great institution needs their help.

I know what it feels like to be on outside child, so do not expect me to treat anyone like how outside children are treated. I have no enemies, neither do I want to know if people have me as their enemy, therefore I do not want any person identified as the enemy. In the rebuilding process, I do not even see persons who voted for the BLP as the enemy, I see them as potential supporters.

Successful political leaders have always been loved by supporters on both sides of the fence and those persons seeking to lead the political arm of the party must be able to attract support from the other party.  In Barbados, you can always tell to whom the electorate is gravitating and there is no need for that person to overplay his hands. It is when one is seeking to be popular that they try doing things to please the masses. A leader must lead and cannot afford to compromise his or her position by seeking cheap support.

The DLP has been fortunate to have the Right Excellent Errol Barrow and Sir Lloyd Sandiford who were able to demand respect from the electorate and any future leader must be able to attract persons to the party and demand respect.

Let us continue to show what has developed the party over the years and continue to deliver to the electorate the person who is capable of operating in the interest of the country. This country needs a leader who is strong and committed to the development of the country, not self and friends. This country is at a very critical stage in its development and it is clear that whatever we do, the workers of Barbados must play a significant role in the expansion of the economy.

New ways essential

Over the last eleven years, we have concentrated on asking workers to accept their responsibility, while at the same time, we have deprived the owners of capital and the country from achieving their maximums. These same persons are expected to work capital to generate revenue, have been frustrated, causing them not to perform at their maximum.

This country Barbados needs to change its approach to development and understand that new ways must be found to deal with our economic problems. What does not work for other countries cannot be ignored by Barbados, and because something did not work for Grenada and Antigua, does not mean that it would not work for Barbados. I was told before that every party that introduces VAT is defeated at the polls the following elections, we in Barbados have seen the opposite.

We all know that no country can be progressive when you are operating two regressive taxation systems at the same time, and we in Barbados have been doing it for the last nine years, because some people want to see the middle class oppressed.

Last Tuesday, the Opposition had a good chance to put a case for the people of Barbados seeing that the present Government has surrendered its rights to lead by not accepting that a New Economic Order is needed to solve the problems of the country. Barbadians must now admit that they blamed Sir Lloyd and his administration for taking the country into a crisis, but they should now be admitting, that they brought their own home grown solutions to solve the problems, which created growth in the economy and solved our foreign exchange problems.

The oil arrangement with Venezuela cannot be accepted by Barbados and Trinidad because Venezuela is seeking to dominate the Caribbean and trying to treat them like ungrateful countries that do not have an identity.

Barbados must ensure that their loyalty to CSME and Trinidad is accepted and those who were eager to imprison our fishermen must now ask themselves whether the fishermen are their friends or enemies, it is not Barbadians that are allowed to fish in Trinidad waters without hindrance, but Venezuelans who are allowed to deprive Trinidadians of their territorial rights, while at the same time we have to fight our friends at the International Court to protect our rights.

I have said before that the debate is about votes and people must understand that the leaders could not solve a simple problem because of how it affects the voting pattern in the country. So far, it has cost both countries a large sum of money to have someone else to make the decision for them, and so absolve them of any blame in the matter.

This weekend, the DLP will conclude its conference and major decisions must be made to make the DLP the party of choice among the voting public. This party has what it takes to bring Barrow’s goodwill back,  that has been taken to the BLP by one of our own, and the person capable of bringing it back home must be allowed to do so and stop the people of Barbados from suffering. The great work of the O’Neal family must be completed and it must be done without war in the party or country. It must be done with love, peace and unity. One family, one love, Barbados belongs to all of us.

(Denis Kellman is the parliamentary representative for St. Lucy, Barbados)