#2022YearinReview: From early polls to controversial decisions in 2022

By Anesta Henry

general election called a year and a half before it was constitutionally due, the Government announcing and then backtracking on a decision to change the name of Independence Day, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly being charged with rape were among the political highlights of 2022.

Just days before the start of 2022 – on December 27 to be exact – Prime Minister Mia Mottley, whose Barbados Labour Party (BLP) had won a five-year term in the May 2018 general elections, announced that the population would not be waiting until 2023 to choose a new government.

She surprised the country by announcing a January 19, 2022 date for the polls, the first general election since Barbados became a republic on November 30, 2021. The sudden announcement left political parties scrambling with just a few days to have candidates finalised for Nomination Day on January 3 and three weeks for campaigning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two opposition parties, the People’s Development Party (PDP) led by Bishop Joseph Atherley who had served as Opposition Leader in the last House of Assembly, and the Lynette Eastmond-led United Progressive Party (UPP) teamed up to contest the polls, forming the Alliance Party for Progress (APP).

That amalgamation was followed by Bishop Atherley announcing that he would not seek re-election in the St Michael West constituency and would instead be attempting to unseat the Speaker of the House of Assembly Arthur Holder in St Michael Central.

On Nomination Day, more than 100 candidates, including from seven political parties and nine independents, handed in their nomination papers.

The BLP and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) were the only parties to have a full slate of 30 candidates, while APP had 20. The other smaller parties contesting the polls were Solutions Barbados, New Barbados Kingdom Alliance, Bajan Free Party and Barbados Sovereignty Party.

There was a total 0f 266 330 registered voters. When the votes were tabulated at the end of Election Day, there was a turnout of 42.77 per cent and the BLP secured a second consecutive whitewash at the polls, winning every seat in the legislature.

After the DLP failed to win a seat for the second straight time – this time being the first under her leadership – Verla DePeiza resigned as president of the party. It was a position she had held since 2018.

Her resignation resulted in officials of the party founded by Father of Independence Errol Barrow being locked in closed-door talks at the party’s George Street headquarters on January 21, Errol Barrow Day.

Former Member of Parliament for St Michael Central and Cabinet Minister Steve Blackett was chosen to assume interim leadership of the DLP.

On January 24, Prime Minister Mottley announced her Cabinet that included Santia Bradshaw as Deputy Prime Minister.

Soon after her re-election, Prime Minister Mottley proposed an amendment to the Constitution to reduce the age for eligibility to sit in Parliament from 21 to 18, to facilitate the appointment of 18-year-old youth activist and law student Khaleel Kothdiwala as a Senator.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2022 also sought to make provisions for the political party with the second-highest number of votes in a general election to appoint two senators in a case where there is no Leader of the Opposition. The DLP, which would have been the party to benefit from the amendment this time around, initially declared that the PM had no authority to offer the seats as it was the President’s duty to appoint the two senators.

In the end, after much debate about the matter in the public and in Parliament, the attempt failed in the Upper House.

In March, the Prime Minister opted not to pursue her bid in light of the clear indication by Independent Senators that they would not have supported the measure. Prominent attorney-at-law Gregory Nicholls was subsequently appointed as Government’s final Senate pick.

At the same time, a battle was being fought in the law courts over the composition of the Senate.

In February, former Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite Q.C. asked the court to make a determination on whether the Senate had been properly constituted since it had only 18 of the 21 members as required under Section 36 of the Constitution appointed at that point.

However, Madame Justice Cicely Chase ruled that President Dame Sandra Mason had properly convened Parliament when she appointed the 18 Senators, clearing the way for the Upper House to resume sittings.

The President later appointed University of the West Indies (UWI) Senior Political Science lecturer and political analyst Dr Kristina Hinds, former Director of Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and former Ambassador, Dr Chelston Brathwaite to complete the slate of Senators.

On May 1, UWI law lecturer Dr Ronnie Yearwood was elected the new president of the DLP at an Extraordinary Conference held at the party’s headquarters. He captured 273 votes compared to the 205 won by his sole opponent, former government minister Dr David Estwick.

In October, while speaking at the BLP’s 83rd Annual Conference, Prime Minister Mottley announced a Cabinet reshuffle in which she switched the portfolios of Dr Jerome Walcott, Senior Minister Kerrie Symmonds, Senator Lisa Cummins and Ian Gooding-Edghill.

Dr Walcott, the Senior Minister of Social Sectors and Environment was named Minister of Health and Wellness, taking over the portfolio formerly held by Gooding-Edghill who was named Minister of Tourism and International Transport.

Cummins, the former Minister of Tourism and International Transport Senator, became the new Minister of Energy and Business Development with responsibilities for International Business and Trade, taking over from Symmonds who was named as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

Mottley also announced that Member of Parliament for the City of Bridgetown Corey Lane, the former parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, would serve in the Office of the Attorney-General as Minister of State with responsibility for Crime Prevention.

Additionally, the Prime Minister said that Cynthia Forde would be nominated as Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, replacing Member of Parliament for St Michael North West Neil Rowe who was charged with rape.

He appeared in court two days later and was granted $10 000 bail on the indictable charge.

On November 1, an announcement by Home Affairs Minister Wilfred Abrahams that Independence Day would be renamed Barbados National Day to incorporate celebrations for the anniversary of the country becoming a republic sparked immediate public outrage.

Citizens at home and abroad took to social media to express strong opposition to the decision.

The DLP, stoutly fighting the move, started an online petition which had garnered thousands of signatures within 24 hours and also called on Barbadians to hit the streets in their numbers for a peaceful protest and march against the Government’s decision. However, the protest did not materialise after Abraham announced that the name change decision had been put on hold.

The DLP leader, who had described the attempt to change the name as a “stupid, downright callous and foolish move”, said the Government’s decision to halt the process was a victory for the people of Barbados and for democracy.

There was some sad news in the political arena last year. Former Member of Parliament for Christ Church East and Minister of Government Dr Denis Lowe passed away at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) on September 16.

On December 4, Wendell Callender, who also represented Christ Church East in a BLP administration, died at the QEH after a brief illness.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb