‘Ding dong battle between Dems and Bees’

A two-horse race!

That’s how president of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Verla DePeiza is expecting the upcoming by-election in St George North to pan out.

She made the prediction moments after the DLP formally named former West Indies and Barbados cricket captain Floyd Reifer as its candidate for the constituency.

Reifer was an overwhelming pick by the Executive and General Council last night, beating out four other candidates including calypsonian Colin Spencer.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, DePeiza said while the other political parties were expected to field candidates, she believed it would essentially come down to between Reifer and BLP hopeful Toni Moore.

“In relation to the smaller parties it is difficult to say what impact they will have, especially in St George North. They I believe have the only repeat candidate in Solutions Barbados, so we will see how that turns out but I expect that it will still be for the most part a two-horse race and all we are waiting now is for the Prime Minister to give her date,” DePeiza said.

She said both candidates were new to politics and it would ultimately be left to the constituents of St George North to decide.

“Well everybody is making a shift if we are being fair. She is shifting from the Barbados Workers Union and all of them share the fact that they are new to politics.

“I think the difference will be that Ms Moore has more of a national record to be prosecuted because of the role that she played previously, which will be distinguished of course from Mr Reifer who will not have a record of that type.

“But outside of the national issue, all of them have to fill the eyes of the people of St George North and that is really the critical issue. Yes we will use the by-election to test public opinion on a sitting Government but at the end of the day the only persons who get to vote are those in the particular constituency, so St George North can expect a full ventilation of their issues,” DePeiza assured.

When contacted for comment Reifer told Barbados TODAY he was in a meeting and could not speak at that time.

Numerous other attempts to contact him proved unsuccessful up to publication time.

Back in 2009, Reifer was named captain of a second-string West Indies team to face Bangladesh. He also served as head coach of the regional team.

Reifer, also played for Barbados and was captain and coach of the Combined Campuses and Colleges team which played in the regional competitions. (RB)