Opposition Leader suggests King was pushed to make early exit

Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley believes current member of Parliament for St Philip West, John King was pushed out.

Atherley’s comments have come on the heels of yesterday’s announcement by the first-time parliamentarian that he would not contest the next general election, constitutionally due in 2023 citing difficulties in completing several personal targets he had set for himself while being an MP.

King, a two-time calypso monarch of Barbados,  made the disclosure while speaking at a branch meeting at the Gordon Walters Primary School. He is set to be replaced by proposed candidate Minister of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology, Senator Kay McConney, a former diplomat.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY, Atherley said King’s decision not to seek re-election was somewhat surprising considering the 2018 general elections which he contested and won was his first.

He said unlike his colleague Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, who gave notice earlier this month that he would not contest the next general elections, there were no obvious reasons why King would opt out.

He suggested that King, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture and the National Development Commission, might have been forced out by Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

Atherley also pointed to the fact that the minister was ‘demoted’ from his post as Minister of Creative Economy, Culture and Sports by Mottley last July.

“It is not altogether surprising in Colonel Bostic’s case because he has been around now for a couple of terms and did in fact run in an election before he actually won. He may also be worn out and weary from his exertions with respect to the response to the COVID threat. I also think it would be a little bit difficult for some ministers to handle constituency-related issues in that particular context and he [Bostic] would be prime among them.

“With respect to Mr King I’m not so sure the same can be said because he had only done one term, he just faced the electorate three years ago and he’s saying that for the last year he has been considering quitting. One would have to pause and take thought of that. There have been rumours for some time that Mr King was being forced out of St Philip to make way for somebody else who would be preferred by the leader of the party,” Atherley, the leader of the People’s Development for Democracy and Development (PdP) told Barbados TODAY.

“Mr King, if he is sufficiently emboldened, would have to speak to that, but that has been rumoured for quite some time. I’m not altogether surprised but I am surprised with reference to what he did say on the occasion.”

With both the BLP and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) announcing new candidates in recent weeks, Atherley said the PdP had also recruited new candidates.

However, he said the party would not be revealing the names of those persons until the timing was right.

“We will name those candidates in due course. There are people who are making themselves available, I can assure you that. I don’t feel as if I need to be rushed on that matter as I don’t know elections are imminent next month or the month after,” Atherley explained.

“I don’t think that I should let the actions of Ms Mottley necessarily dictate what we do in the PdP, but I assure you there are those [candidates]  and the time will come.”
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb