‘Proper procedures followed in presidential election’

Attorney General Dale Marshall has maintained that proper procedures were followed at last week’s joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament for the election of Dame Sandra Mason as Barbados’ first President ahead of the move to republican status on November 30.

Speaking at the conclusion of Tuesday session of the House of Assembly, Marshall said, “I consulted with the Leader of the Opposition, and Government accepted his input. We agreed on a two-thirds majority, which has always been our position, but there was also the suggestion that if one person objects, we should go to our separate houses and have a secret ballot.”

With reference to Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn who objected to the process and ultimately walked out of the joint session, Marshall said: “Had the member who objected read the bill, he would have seen that it provides for a vote and secret ballot, and those conditions were met.”

He added that Government would be including yet another recommendation made by Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley in the Barbados National Honours and Decorations Bill that the House debated Tuesday. He said: “This is an administration that reaches across the aisle and tries to find mature consensus in its decision making processes.”

As the Lower House debated the bill which will see a slew of new national honours and awards to replace those created for a realm, St. Peter MP Colin Jordan repeated that the move to a republic was not an attempt to undermine the work of Father of Independence Errol Barrow but part of a determined effort to move Barbados further along its trajectory of development.

“We have no intention of changing the country’s name or seeking to bring glory to any given set of people at a particular time,” said Jordan. “Barbados is continuing as before; as a mature government, government and governance is not about appropriating things to ourselves, but taking up a baton and moving on, and eventually someone else will take up the baton and run with it years from now.” (DH)