BLP questions Reifer’s sincerity

The Barbados Labour Party is claiming that while campaigning to become St George Member of Parliament, Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate Floyd Reifer is negotiating a contract to accompany the West Indies team on a tour of New Zealand.

Leveling the allegation on Sunday night during a mass meeting at Market Hill, St George, BLP General Secretary Senator Jerome Walcott, questioned Reifer’s sincerity in asking voters in that constituency to elect him as their political spokesperson.

“How could it be possible for Mr Reifer to seek to represent you the good people of St George and not tell you that while he is doing this and seeking to get your vote and how much he cares for you, he is actively trying to secure a contract to travel with Cricket West Indies to tour New Zealand?

“Talk about integrity, talk about honesty, talk about commitment,” Walcott said.

Without naming the source regarding the contract negotiations and promising to reveal more later, Walcott, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, “I should not be receiving any information about a Mr Floyd Reifer, who is out here every day canvassing … that he is currently in discussion with cricket West Indies to tour New Zealand to New Zealand.

“The team is supposed to be departing shortly – towards the end of this month – will go into quarantine for two weeks, to start the first game on the 27th of November.”

The series runs until December 15.

Continuing his attack on Reifer and the DLP and questioning their transparency, Walcott said, “They’ve spoken about Toni Moore (Barbados Labour Party by-election candidate) in disparaging tones. They’ve questioned her integrity as it relates to the trade union.

“I don’t have to defend her record. I think her record speaks for itself but I believe that if a young man from this area from among you is seeking to represent you, he must be perfectly honest and truthful with you.”

Speaking on the platform earlier, Senator Rudolph Cappy Greenidge, contended that the DLP had no confidence in winning the St George North seat and for that reason the party put up newcomer Reifer.

Greenidge said on the platform that many DLP ex-parliamentarians and senators are now resurfacing publicly but none had offered his or herself to run for the St George North seat.

“If any one of them had the slightest inkling that they could win the seat, Floyd Reifer would not be running. He would not have been their candidate. They know and you know that Floyd Reifer has a mountain to climb.”

He suggested that any of the DLP veterans Esther Byer-Suckhoo, Richard Sealy, Stephen Lashley or Verla DePeiza, could have contested the seat.

“One of them would have been running in this seat if they thought that they had a chance. Floyd is running because they know that he will lose. They know that he does not stand a chance.

“They chose to mash up … an innocent fella.”

“I think that they have betrayed him,” Greenidge contended. (GA)