DEMs look to begin healing process at annual conference

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) wants to put its recent infighting and internal turmoil behind it, and it says this will be evident at its upcoming 69th annual conference, set for August 23-25 at its George Street headquarters.

The party leadership hopes the conference will mark a turning point, allowing them to move past the vexing issues and concentrate on their role as an effective opposition addressing national concerns.

Acting President Andre Worrell said the conference was an opportunity to demonstrate unity and readiness to tackle Barbados’ pressing concerns. 

This follows internal turmoil surrounding the suspension of the DLP President Dr Ronnie Yearwood and the general secretary Steve Blackett.

“We intend to use this 69th annual conference to show the people of Barbados that the Democratic Labour Party is ready to take on the issues of the people of Barbados,” Worrell said at the conference launch at the DLP headquarters. “I am quite pleased to see that even with the turmoil that has been going on within the party, we can’t bury our heads within the sand. The party is still functioning.”

The acting president emphasised the party’s commitment to addressing issues such as rising crime rates and the strain on the healthcare system, and he urged members to participate actively, saying, “We want to hear our members [on] how can this party stop looking inward and look outward to represent the people of Barbados by dealing with the major national issues?”

Conference chair Quincy Jones highlighted technological improvements for this year’s event, including the introduction of electronic voting for council and executive members. He described the new voting system as a “more efficient and transparent way to show that every voice is heard”. 

(SB)