DLP by-election candidate to be named soon

By Tuesday evening, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) most likely will have selected and named their candidate to run in the upcoming by-election in St George North.

That assurance has come from its president Verla DePeiza who told Barbados TODAY that within the next 24 hours, the five people who have expressed an interest in representing the party – including calypsonian Colin Spencer – will be narrowed down to just one.

“We meet this evening and we meet tomorrow during the day. The intention is that by the end of tomorrow we are in a position to make an announcement. We have put our machinery in place, so that part we’re ready for, so we’re just waiting to fill in a particular blank,” she said.

DePeiza, who was re-elected as DLP president when elections were held over the weekend, said she was happy with the high interest shown by party members in the St George North vacancy.

“The interest in representing the party, we find that to be very comforting. I’m not going to let go any secrets at this point because I am not prejudging the orders of the party,” she said.

Last week, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced that General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union, Toni Moore had been “unanimously” selected to represent the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) in St George North.

That position will be vacated by Gline Clarke, who represented the constituency for 26 years, on September 30.

When asked about Moore’s selection as the BLP’s candidate last Friday, DePeiza told the media she was happy she was chosen out of all the candidates.

She said Moore was one of the weakest persons the BLP could have selected.

“It is not for me to have any involvement whatsoever in the BLP and their machinations, that doesn’t concern me. But I will say that of the names that had been bandied about hers is the best one for us to have to go against. We are very delighted, we’re not going to hide that,” the DLP president said at the time. (RB)