Moontown

DENIS KELLMAN’S COLUMN – THE DEBATE

Barbados Advocate

October 21, 2005

Recently, I have been asked if persons with whom I am associated, appreciate what I have been saying and writing over the last 11 years. I was told that institutions that accepted what I said were able to gain from such pronouncements.

These persons are now openly saying that they do not want me to make any predictions about them that are negative. They have been able to repeat many things which I have said previously that have happened and are now of the opinion that those who do not listen to what I am saying, will fail miserably.

I have been reflecting on what these persons have been saying and recognized that some institutions and the country have not developed at the required rate, because some persons do not want to acknowledge that I am capable of providing the solutions to the current problems.

Over the years, I have written that the problem facing this economy has more to do with the capacity to generate foreign reserves and not revenue. Within the last 11 years, I have witnessed a propensity to brag about revenue and foreign reserves that have not been earned by productive means. Our foreign reserves for the past 11 years have increased because of borrowing, property transfers as it relates to local properties and the relocation of returning nationals.

Some time ago, I wrote that we as a country have not appreciated the contribution of returning nationals and neither have we fully studied their financial planning. Had we fully appreciated how we could gain from them, by allowing them to enhance our reserves, we would have put instruments in place to truly measure their contributions and compensate them by encouraging them to relocate their full savings in order for us to get that needed foreign exchange.

For this suggestion to be fully appreciated, we must first understand that the costs of external borrowing are far greater than the costs of compensation for returning nationals. These persons have created new foreign reserves without any negative outflows. I am suggesting that we have to first look at how it will benefit them to fully relocate their savings, measure the benefits and look to see what it would costs us to fulfill that dream.

When this Government sought to borrow $300m, I suggested to the government to seek help from the returning nationals, in order to fulfill their foreign reserves need. The reason I was concerned  was because we were about to pay out $442m in interest charges to outside sources without this initial amount generating any revenue and foreign reserves to service itself.

People must appreciate that the inflows from returning nationals are to service their current demands while their savings are still located in the country of their production, therefore these savings will not be brought to the country of residence by accident.

These persons see their savings as their investment to generate revenue and they will continue to maximize their returns. We must offer them something better than what they are receiving now, and the same way that we pay interest rates above par for loans, we must be prepared to offer them rates above the current savings rate which they are now receiving elsewhere.

In 1973, we set up our own Central Bank and created our own currency. This action caused us to increase our purchasing capacity by 25 per cent by linking our currency to the US dollar, a country that practices the Republican style of Government, even though seven years previously, we took independence from England, but refused to do it fully to make sure that we could practice a foreign policy of “friends of all, satellite of none”.

Twenty-five years later, the economy is supposed to be a lot better than in the early 1990s, yet we are now hearing that we should be adopting the EC currency. This decision will devalue our currency by about 25 per cent and will put us back to our 1973 position.

The key players are now admitting that we have not progressed over the last 11 years and that the decision not to devalue in the early ‘90s was a vote of confidence in the leadership. We are now worse off in 2005. This has occurred because we now have all our eggs in one basket. In the early ‘90s, we had our eggs in many baskets, even though they might not have been performing at the rate we expected.

I saw in another section of the press that a Special Conference will be held on November 19, 2005, and on the same day an amendment to the Constitution will be debated and voted on.  This action is not as simple as the reporter would want one to believe. The importance of this amendment can create debate for a whole day.

The ballot for the constitutional change must be secret and this must be treated as a serious matter. Those persons supporting the change must be given an opportunity and this must be treated as a serious matter. Those persons supporting the change must be given an opportunity to present their case and those against must be offered the same opportunity.

After the two-thirds majority is sought, the party must be in a healing position and those persons in charge of the party must do nothing to interfere with the good name of the party. If the two-thirds majority is achieved,  persons must be given an opportunity to decide whether they want to contend the position, acknowledging that the chairman will now be the Political Leader to suit the party’s constitution and will not be binding  on the supreme Constitution.

The vote for Political Leader should not be on the same day, because it will be too time consuming and all candidates should know the persons eligible to vote by name and address for verification.  Please note that I have always taken a stance to suit circumstances and when they change I am subject to change also.

Dr. Eric Williams once said that one from ten leaves zero, but that was in his time, because today, one from ten leaves nine equal persons. Please let us fight fairly and think party not self.

Peace, love, unity, fairness and truth.

(Denis Kellman is the Parliamentary Representative for the parish of St. Lucy, Barbados)

DENIS KELLMAN’S COLUMN – THE DEBATE

Barbados Advocate

September 30, 2005

Last Friday, another section of the press reported that it would be publishing the results of questions asked in its poll. The main question was: “How do you rate the leadership of Owen Arthur, Clyde Mascoll, Mia Mottley and David Thompson?”

It was later reported that Owen Arthur got 33 per cent, David Thompson 28 per cent, Mia Mottley 22 per cent and Clyde Mascoll 10 per cent. These four persons were the ones identified in the poll as the only possible leaders. The two BLP leaders got 55 per cent of the votes, while the two DLP leaders received 38 per cent.

The percentages must be carefully monitored and the political scientists must tell the public how they arrived at the combination of candidates for the poll. The person who commissioned the poll did not match the candidates fairly. How can you have a poll about a party leader and an Opposition Leader versus a party leader/Prime Minister and a Deputy Prime Minister?

It is clear that the person who commissioned the poll did not realize that Dr. Estwick is the Deputy Leader of the DLP and should have been included. If Dr. Estwick was not included as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, then Mia Mottley should not have been included as Deputy Leader.

It seems that in Barbados, it is not about who the people want, but it is about what too few want. It is obvious that the leadership in Barbados is being planned in rooms and some persons in the press have already dedicated their time to the cause.

Politicians like myself believe in pride in oneself and cannot claim to be part of society only because of profession and politics, but because of roots, cannot allow people who have been accepted late in their lives to behave as though they are the new masters. Nobody who knows my background can tell anyone that I have ever been a snob. It worries me when I see people who have recently gained something in life behaving foolish.

People say that I am arrogant because I do not accept foolishness from anyone. Pride was a virtue instilled in us from the time we were kids and things our friends could do and say, we could not as a result of our upbringing.  We were always told by our dad that money does not make you a man, but manners and your deportment.

We have seen changes in society and we sometimes wonder why the changes are occurring, but have never stopped to consider that the ones who are the leading lights are so full of snobbery that the youngsters are no longer seeing them as role models. Young political scientists will soon question the conclusions of their seniors when they are able to analyse their conclusions based on statistics and data that do not match.

How can political scientists and commentators continue to conduct polls and one name keeps recurring in every poll since 1999, and they never stop to highlight the particular fact, even though it is so obvious? The public is not only speaking about this lapse, but they now have a clear picture of the snobbery in society that has more to do with cliques than anything else.

I am now in a better position to understand why some persons have always ignored the positive movements of the O’Neale family. I would be stupid to believe that the movement that was started by Duncan O’Neale continued by Errol Barrow and now being carried on by myself with the same type of opposition, be any different.

One thing I cannot do is to change the approach, the fight must be for all. Duncan fought for the rights of the underprivileged to be accepted, Errol fought to make sure that they were empowered and I will continue to make sure that they have a role in the isosceles triangle.

Many have made technology and the capital owners are now using man to destroy themselves by using that which they have created. The educational system and movement created by the Right Excellent Errol Barrow is now being used by the beneficiaries of the system to destroy their equals and seniors. The name Denis Kellman has embarrassed the gurus who continue to believe that they can tell the masses who should be their hero and who is the one best to represent their interest.

We are seeing a repeat of what occurred in the 1960s when certain comrades did everything to stop the Late Right Excellent from leading the party from which the movement was started. The Barbados Labour Party has treasured the Mottley, Miller, Adams and hopefully the Arthur name, providing that he can get them to accept his contribution after he has been used to deliver the goodwill that should have been inherited by the DLP.

The Democratic Labour Party can feel good about the poll, if it can get its members to focus on what its political leader has stated in response to the poll. We must accept what the poll has provided and reflect on what brought the BLP to Government in the nineties. The message sent to the BLP then is now being sent to us by the same public who will not allow a too few to dictate to them.

The DLP has always been seen as the party for all, protecting the interest of the masses, while looking after all, but not being dictated to. We have never been able to capture the imagination of the capital class, but have always done things for the masses, that they the capital class were able to benefit from. Our members never expected to be on their retainership and we have always been their second class citizens due to our philosophy.

We as a party will continue to have politicians who understand their commitment to the working class and who also understand that there is a relationship between capital and labour. Leaders must lead and not be led. It is a proud record left by the O’Neales and Sir Lloyd. This is what has separated the DLP from the BLP and that is why workers were misled in the nineties. It is known that progress for the masses always comes with hardship in the beginning, but glory in the end.

Peace, love, fairness and unity.

(Denis Kellman is the Member of Parliament for St. Lucy, Barbados)

RICE AND PEAS; STEW FOOD AND CHICKEN

CORN MEAL COU COU; MACARONI PIE

SAUTEED BREADFRUIT;  BAKED CHICKEN

BAKED LAMB; BAKED PORK; BBQ PIG TAILS

BBQ SPARERIBS; GRILLED STEAK FISH

FRIED POT FISH; FRIED SNAPPER

FISH GRAVY; LAMB STEW

STEAMED VEGETABLES

TOSSED SALAD