Parties insist no insults coming from campaigns

At least three political parties participating in the St George North by-election have given their assurance that they are running clean campaigns.

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP), the People’s Party for Democracy and Development’s (PdP) and Solutions Barbados have all maintained that they have not insulted or humiliated any candidate contesting the November 11 by-election.

Yesterday, in a press release, President of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations (CTUSAB) Dennis De Peiza called on the political parties to “stop hurling insults on political platforms”. He said such behaviour was disturbing and unacceptable.

However, DLP president Verla De Peiza told Barbados TODAY neither Floyd Reifer nor the party had stooped to such levels.

She said it was time for that practice to be wiped from Barbados’ political landscape.

“The DLP is determined to run a clean campaign. You can critique a person’s record politically without getting into their personal lives or anything of that nature. That is not necessary. So far, we have managed to keep it clean and that is our intent. Every time we have a [political] meeting we remind each other of the need to keep it clean,” De Peiza said.

Leader of the PdP Bishop Joseph Atherley told Barbados TODAY that his party “doesn’t know how to do other but campaign cleanly”.

“Our motto is ‘God, Growth and Greatness’. We obviously start from a perspective guided by spiritual values and principles and we’re not going to do anything to sully our reputation,” he said.

“I don’t know what other parties are doing and it is not our concern. I do not know where the CTUSAB release and remarks are targeted but I can tell you clearly that the PdP is not engaging in that.”

Meanwhile, Solutions Barbados leader Grenville Phillips II said some parties had been “behaving badly”. He said this was despite the fact that every meeting began with a word of prayer.

But Phillips, who is contesting the by-election, complimented the other five candidates in the race – Reifer, the Barbados Labour Party’s Toni Moore, Ambrose Grosvenor of the United Progressive Party, the PdP’s David Walrond and Alex Mitchell of Barbados Free Party.

“Every interaction I have had with Toni Moore has been a pleasant one. She listens to other views and gives practical improvements. I can understand why the Prime Minister would want to include her when developing national policies. I have had far less interactions with Floyd Reifer, but those interactions have also been pleasant. The man is clearly a leader, and with the right support, may significantly benefit Barbados politically,” Phillips said.

“Ambrose Grosvenor is a fellow member of the Wesleyan Holiness Church. He is a trusted treasurer in his church, and I have not heard of Ambrose being involved in any scandals. He pays attention to details, which may prevent issues from falling through the proverbial cracks.

“David Walrond is a fellow old scholar of Combermere School and a pleasant man. He has ideas and a willingness to implement them. Alex Mitchell is a serious man. He hates injustice with the same passion that I hate corruption. He does not compromise if that compromise causes him to violate his principles. There is no pretence with Alex – he is the real deal,” Phillips added. (randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)