‘DLP’s best chance’

If the Democratic Labor Party (DLP)’s candidate in the St George North by-election is victorious, Bishop Joseph Atherley should step down as Opposition Leader, and allow the DLP to appoint two senators and potentially receive the $150,000 Opposition subvention.

That is the view of respected pollster Peter Wickham, who has lauded the selection of Floyd Reifer as the DLP’s candidate. In fact, he has identified the former West Indies captain as the political hopeful with the greatest chance of defeating Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) candidate Senator Toni Moore.

This is because of his popularity in the constituency and the fact that he is in no way tied to the DLP’s old guard that was ousted in the 2018 general election. But according to Wickham, the onus will be on Reifer in the coming weeks to prove his usefulness beyond the boundaries of cricket.

“It’s a conversation that Reifer now has to be able to have with the population. Is he somebody who plays cricket well that could also manage a government, or is his limitation simply just that of a cricketer? That is going to be part of his challenge going forward. It is his advantage, but it is also a weakness unless he is able to present a narrative that says ‘I am more than just a cricket coach and a cricketer and I can be a part of the management of Barbados going forward,’” Wickham suggested.

If successful at the polls, Reifer would be the lone DLP representative in the Lower House of Parliament alongside Bishop Atherley who is head of the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) and Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition. According to Wickham, this dynamic could present challenges for the Governor General if the DLP seeks to challenge the legitimacy of Atherley, who entered Parliament as a member of the ruling BLP before crossing the floor to become the only Opposition member and later forming his own party.

Based on Westminster traditions, Wickham believes the status quo would likely be maintained, unless Atherley does the “decent thing” and step down, allowing the DLP to seek representation in the Senate.

“Most definitely it would be the decent thing, but we have to ask ourselves to what extent the actions of Reverend Atherley have been driven by decency as opposed to political expediency. A lot of what has happened is about political expediency,” Wickham charged.

“You had a person who was a sworn member of the Barbados Labor Party, who went in after losing twice under Owen Arthur, won under Mia Mottley and the first thing he did was to turn around. . .He then said he was going in to give critical support to the Opposition and then within a few months, we hear that he is starting a political party with the intention of getting a subvention and bringing candidates from all corners.

“I find the whole thing is scandalous and when people say [stepping down] is the decent thing to do, I would agree. . . he has behaved expediently, and that is really what I am reading into it,” the pollster added.

When contacted, DLP President Verla DePeiza said that the party has considered the scenario, but would not yet comment on the intention if Reifer is successful. Efforts to reach Atherley for an update on the PdP’s campaign progress and the position on the emerging issues were unsuccessful.

Wickham was consistent in his belief that neither Solutions Barbados, the UPP nor the PdP stood a chance of winning and warned that the presence of alternative parties could actually hurt the DLP’s chances.

“These are really people who are Dems that are frustrated with the DLP and are choosing to cast their vote differently. That is what happened in the last election and I think the more third parties come forward, the less well Floyd Reifer will do as a candidate.”
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb