Defeated Democratic Labour Party presidential candidate Reverend Guy Hewitt may have signalled that he is taking a step back from the limelight, but at least one political scientist believes he still has a future in elective politics and the potential to mount another leadership challenge.
Publicly conceding defeat on Wednesday, following an unsuccessful bid for presidency at the DLP’s annual conference last weekend, Reverend Hewitt said he remained committed to the Dems, although he was still smarting from the loss.
“I didn’t anticipate going up against three adversaries: the leader of our party, the leader of our country and sections of the media,” the Anglican cleric said in a statement issued to Barbados TODAY.
“And while I accept that politics is a contact sport, I didn’t expect the rules of fair play would have been disregarded completely. But c’est la vie. While the loss hurts because of the way it came about, for the sake of the unity of our party, I offer my concession. However, I will never lose my audacity of courage or stop believing in fighting for what is right.
“There is a saying in Latin: Vox populi, vox Dei, which translates: ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God’. This non-biblical yet time-honoured democratic tradition speaks to the desire for the orderly transfer of power and authority by abiding by the will of the people. As a Christian and Democrat, I subscribe to such and wish the leadership of the DLP well. I say this in all sincerity.”
As for his own plans for a political future, the Anglican cleric said he could not “speak definitively” on that yet.
“For just as the spirit bade me go Good Friday last, I will continue to walk by faith not by sight,” Reverend Hewitt declared. “However, in the short-term, know that I have some personal matters to attend to and during this period I will be modulating my statements on matters of national concerns, so as to allow the DLP leadership to speak with a single and, I expect, energised and amplified voice on the vision and strategy that they have for us as a party and a country.”
He also thanked those who voted for him, canvassed with him and provided the financing for his New Dawn for Democracy campaign.
“I am very grateful,” he said. “What a campaign we ran. In a few months, we created unprecedented visibility, energy, and engagement around the Democratic Labour Party and, in the process, we also gave hope to those who thought that the spirit of democracy and the voice of the people had been vanquished. Hope springs eternal.”
In an interview Barbados TODAY a day before Reverend Hewitt issued his statement, senior lecturer in political science at UWI Cave Hill Dr Kristina Hinds suggested that Hewitt should work hand-in-hand with DePeiza as the party gears up for the general election, due by 2023.
She expressed the view that he still has a future in politics, both as a candidate for the party and as a potential leader.
“The DLP is probably best served by no longer having challenges against the president, because this is the time that it needs to get organised for an election,” Dr Hinds told Barbados TODAY on Tuesday evening.
“In the future, after an election, I think Reverend Hewitt or anybody else can challenge. But I don’t think it is a good idea so close to an election. We have only two years left… and an election could be called sooner. So, I don’t think it’s a good idea to challenge the president any further at this point. I think she should be left alone at this point.”
Dr Hinds said, however, she was in favour of Reverend Hewitt contesting a seat for the DLP, adding that the Dems should embrace his contribution.
Earlier this month, he sought the nomination to represent the DLP in the Christ Church East Central riding. But DePeiza announced on Sunday that footballer Rasheed Belgrave was given the nod to carry the party’s flag in that constituency.
Dr Hinds told Barbados TODAY: “It would be good to see [Reverend Hewitt] as a candidate, so that if he were to challenge in the future, he would have that experience of also running as a candidate that he could offer, in addition to all the other things that he claims to bring to the political party.
“He has shown himself to have some support…and he clearly has a way of reaching out in public spaces that can be useful for the DLP and I think they should build on that.
“He claims to have the ability to raise financial resources…and fund-raising is very important. So, if he does have this skill, I think the DLP should find every way to ensure that he is included in their campaigning and building the party going forward.”
The political scientist contended that the DLP “needs to have all hands on deck if they want to see any successes in the next election”.
But the UWI academic had her reservations about whether the priest would have been ready to lead the party into the next general election, had he won the presidential race.
“I think it is probably better to have someone with experience in a political campaign to be leading the party into a general election…and he doesn’t have that experience. It’s true that Verla DePeiza has lost each time she has contested a seat, but she does have that experience that he does not have,” Dr Hinds said, adding that while people without experience can “do good things”, experience is useful in this case.
She contended that DePeiza had proven herself within the party, but a challenge to her leadership could emerge later on.
“If the Democratic Labour Party does not do well in the next general election, I think all bets are off…and she can be challenged, and that can be used to show that a change of leadership is necessary,” she said. “But I think we have to give her a chance to be tested in a general election.” (EJ/DP)
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