Leader for the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) Bishop Joseph Atherley believes Prime Minister Mia Mottley will ring the election bell before the four-year austerity programme backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) comes to an end.
The Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme, which is being funded under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility, kicked off in October 2018 and is to end by September of next year.
Following a meeting with IMF officials on Thursday, Atherley told Barbados TODAY he believed that Government risked not meeting all its fiscal targets and continued to struggle to bring the economy back on a sustainable growth path, and was therefore likely to enter another IMF-funded programme.
However, he said an early election was on the cards since the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) would be in jeopardy of losing the election if it should call the election after the current IMF programme ends and it had to enter another one.
“I do think the government is on a trajectory to bring it before it is constitutionally due in 2023. I think a lot of that has to do with their fears with respect to the performance of the tourism sector and that we may go through some similar pain as we had in 2020 and the other thing is if they are to go into a successor IMF arrangement they do not want to do that before the next election,” he stressed.
He explained that the fact that Government has rolled back its 60 per cent debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, is incurring increased spending related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as missing the target of a primary surplus, there will “probably be the need to enter into a second programme with the IMF”.
“That is why I think government might be concerned with calling an election before this current IMF programme expires, because there may be thoughts of going into a new one after this one expires. You want to get an election out of the way without having to say to the people ‘we can’t delink from the IMF arraignments, we have to enter into a new one’.
“I don’t think government wants to be in a position where they have to say to voters ‘vote for us, yes we have a new IMF programme coming but vote for us’. I don’t think they want to do that and hence, you may very well see them moving towards a new election before this current programme expires,” said Atherley.
He told Barbados TODAY that during his exchange with the IMF officials on Thursday, he questioned whether the Washington-based financial institution would entertain a successive programme when the current one ends next year, but IMF officials said while they were willing it was entirely up to government.
Atherley said the PdP was in the process of readying for the next general election, pointing out that several prospective candidates have been coming forward.
Opting not to name the candidates at this point, Atherley told Barbados TODAY the focus was on accepting candidates who were of sound character and willing to serve others.
“We are seeking to get ready, we are talking to people, and there are people who have indicated very clearly, positively that they would like to run in the next elections as PdP candidates,” said Atherley.
“I have seen too many instances of people come to politics and who seem to be about their own interests. They don’t come from a perspective that captures as an important priority, the interest of the people. We want to make sure they are people of quality and high calibre and character that come,” he said.
“That does not only refer to academic qualification, but that refers to experience, having a sense of what the Barbadian pulse is, where the people are, what are the aspirations and dreams and problems and challenges, and what can we bring to the table through dialogue with the people to help them,” he explained.
Pointing out that the PdP was not concerned with having representatives for all 30 constituencies, the Opposition Leader said the aim of his party at this point was “to play a significant role” in the politics and governance of Barbados.
“Of course the ultimate ideal is that you have 30 candidates and you contest every constituency, but that is not the way we are going about it because if you want to get that you can pick up any and everybody, but it is that you get people who are serious about this thing and want to bring their acumen to the table.
“They must also want to bring their interest in people to the table and want to put country first. We have some people who are very much committed to the party, they are involved in our dialogue and discussions but they are not necessarily ones to offer themselves in the elective arena. We have both types of people, we also have people around to give advice,” he said.
marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb
