#BTColumn – Towards a one-term BLP regime

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados TODAY Inc.

by Guy Hewitt

In medicine, the notion of genetic predisposition or genetic susceptibility refers to the increased likelihood of developing a particular disease based on one’s genes.
Research has identified genetic triggers for several major diseases including coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain types of cancer.

As someone trained in political sociology, I am interested in whether persons could be genetically predisposed (or susceptible) to certain types of political behaviours, including despotism.

What is a despot? A despot is a leader who wields absolute power and authority.

Despots can be found in families, sports teams, social clubs, and even religious groups. Colloquially, the word despot applies to those who use their power and authority to ensure their desired outcomes are realised.

In the publication, “Beyond the Bridge: a series of lectures to commemorate the 375th anniversary of Bridgetown”, there is an article by Sir Richard ‘Johnny’ Cheltenham titled ‘Mottley and the City’ which focused on Ernest Deighton Mottley, the former mayor of Bridgetown and the current Prime Minister’s grandfather.

Sir Richard notes that in 1963, a “Dr Richard Jackson was appointed the sole Commissioner to enquire into the working of all aspects of the Local Government Councils on the island…”

He wrote, “Dr Jackson was critical of the administration of many of the services performed by the Councils. He felt that the services were run with neither efficiency nor economy. He was of the opinion that, in some cases, interference in the administration of the services by elected members was responsible for the inefficiency.

“In what could only be regarded as a dig at [ED] Mottley himself, he wrote that ‘the object of Local Government is defeated if it becomes a one man show’. He recommended that various services be centralised and left to Government the decision whether the system should be abolished.”

I believe that in 2018 while the people of Barbados wanted to send a clear message to the previous DLP administration, they never planned to sow seeds that could lead to what currently exists.

Just as Errol Barrow realised it would take drastic action to get rid of the ED Mottley one-man show, it falls on us the people of Barbados to take drastic action to deal with this recent manifestation of Mottleyism. I say to you the people of Barbados, if Barbados is your concern, give them only one term.

Why only one-term? First, there is the mishandling of our economy. Notwithstanding the multimillion-dollar expense on so-called financial wizards and economic gurus, our economy is in a mess, and we can’t blame it all on COVID-19 for most countries are managing the impact of global pandemic better than the Government of Barbados.

According to the World Bank Barbados had one of the 10 worst performing economies globally. According to the IMF, our debt/GDP ratio is the seventh worst in the world. The Doing Business Report underscores that you can’t seem to get business done in Barbados without stress.

Then we read in the media after holding out for no apparent reason and possibly putting our international business and financial services sector at risk, Barbados has now realised the need to join the rest of the world on the OECD-led global corporate tax rate. I say to you the people of Barbados, if Barbados is your concern, give them only one term.

Why only one-term? We, Bajans are barely able to make ends meet. Some can’t. Barbados is ranked as the eighth most expensive nation to live in globally.

And we know that for ourselves: more and more taxes and levies and food and gas prices have gone through the roof, while unemployment is at a catastrophically high level. Zeinab Badawi, a BBC Anchor and a first-time visitor to the island said this: “when I go to a supermarket here, food prices are really high. I’m thinking goodness, how can people afford to buy food here?” Many can’t.

And in all of this, with insufficient vaccines available in Barbados, and with no guarantee of free and easy access to PCR tests, with uncertainty of the efficacy of certain vaccine brands, and with legislation that makes using medical status to determine employability unlawful, some still seem to want to trample on individual rights by saying no vaccine, no work. Let me say this, I support vaccination, but I believe in persuasion not intimidation. I believe in democracy not despotism.

I admit that thankfully the handling of the COVID-19 situation has been better than the mismanagement of the economy.

I was pleased to read that 70,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were received but was alarmed that the Minister of Heath reportedly ‘admitted that he did not know the shelf life.’ Beyond shelf life, which should be a major concern, the challenge with the Pfizer vaccine is it has to be stored at temperatures between -80°C and -60°C and can only be kept in a normal freezer at -20°C (-4°F) for two weeks, and unopened vials could only be kept in a refrigerator for five days, before being used or thrown away. Very few countries have the capacity to manage a vaccine requiring ultra-cold storage.

I will await the details on how the Ministry of Health plans to handle this highly delicate vaccine.

Related to the COVID situation, our tourism sector still struggles from a lack of leadership and strategic focus. Did you read in the media again of a backlog of COVID-19 test results depriving many visitors of their vacation? Reportedly last week, persons arriving on Monday did not receive their results until Thursday afternoon.

We were advised that the delays this time around were because of ‘technical issues’.
But this isn’t the first time! You recall that between late December last year and January this year, many travellers experienced financial and emotional angst because of waiting more than 72 hours to get back their results. This is unacceptable for a tourismbased economy.

This to me is not a technical issue but an accountability issue for without an effective opposition, we can’t get a motion of no-confidence in the minister of tourism.

I say to the people of Barbados, if good governance is your concern, give them only one term.

And in all of this we are being told that we will lose our Independence Day to a Republic Day. They seem to want to replace the greatest son of our soil – the Father of Independence – with a republican lady, who is still far-off from creating a legacy.

I support becoming a republic, but at the right time and in the right way; it should be the expressed will of the people not the aspiration of any leader. I believe in democracy not despotism.

Having lived in the US under the Trump presidency, I am acutely aware of the art of political distraction.

So, when we were told on 26 July, that on 30 November 2021 we would be rushed to be a republic, I immediately wondered what political occurrence were we being distracted from? That became apparent later that day when we learned that the populist, pro-business Chastanet administration in Saint Lucia was defeated at the polls after a single term.

What a blow to other similar regimes. To me the election defeat in St Lucia was an affirmation that PR, spin and salesmanship are a poor replacement for sound leadership.

I know Bajans are a measured people, but if sound administration is your concern, give them only one term.

Leadership is not something you’re born with or inherit. Leaders are made when they connect their purpose and talents with a deep passion to make a difference to those around.
As I have said before I was not born to lead but am committed to serve. This is not about me, or the DLP but all ah we as Bajans. May the Lord continue to be the people’s guide.

Guy Hewitt announced his candidature for the leadership of the DLP. He currently lives and works between Barbados and Florida and can be contacted at guyhewitt @gmail.com