Bajans have say on early poll

Some Barbadians appear to be supportive of the decision to call elections more than a year earlier than constitutionally due.

A Barbados TODAY team visited The City on Tuesday to get the pulse of the people after Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced the evening before that January 19, 2022 will be Election Day.

Married couple Chris and Marcia have given PM Mottley their full support.

“She will win back all of the seats,” said Chris.

When asked to give his assessment of the Government’s performance, he added: “Some of them need a little more work but when the election comes they will get all of the seats. The DLP isn’t ready. If they had more time, maybe, but right now we don’t have no problems; she is safe.”

Meanwhile, Marcia said: “I think Mia is doing a really good job and I am one of the people that is going to put her back in.”

The decision to have an early poll did not surprise her, although she was not expecting it quite this early.

“I did anticipate that it would come in the early part of 2022 but I didn’t quite anticipate January, so it was a little sudden for me,” she told Barbados TODAY.

“Given the reality of the situation in the country, I think that it is reasonable to expect it from a political standpoint to come at this time because decisions do need to be made going forward and you would want a mandate to do that. So the earlier the better, so you can make the hard decisions that need to be made in 2022.”

While not agreeing with every decision made by the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration, she gave the Government a passing grade although saying she thinks there is always room for improvement.

Another man, who gave his name as Clarke, said the opposition should not have been caught off guard.

“From the time a government change, one party goes out and one comes in. The one that goes out has all the time to organize. It shouldn’t be caught napping, simple as that… It’s a brilliant move and she is thinking and she has her plans. She understands politics and I think she is a good Prime Minister,” he said.

George commended the government’s performance in its three years in office, saying it had done a lot for the poor and underprivileged.

However, amid COVID-19 protocols and restrictions he believes places of worship should be given more leeway.

“They should do some more for the religious people in Barbados…. You know the churches are closed and we have to go on Zoom and do certain things, but ease up a bit; ease up.”

kobiebroomes@barbadostoday.bb