DLP manifesto soon to be made public

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) plans to unveil its election manifesto possibly by Near Year’s Day, president Verla DePeiza disclosed on Thursday as she declared that the party was ready for all challengers at next month’s polls.

Speaking to the media after she and the party’s candidates paid in their deposits to contest the general election, DePeiza said the DLP was more prepared than some believed.

Although remaining mum on the party’s overall strategy for the election campaign, she confirmed that the DLP’s manifesto would make an appearance by New Year’s Day.

“We want to be strategic about it, but our major next step of course will be getting through this nomination process, and also rolling out our policy initiatives. Our manifesto has been sitting on ice for months and we are ready to move with it. Before the [election] announcement on Monday, our schedule was New Year’s Day,” she said.

“That message was intended to be that first salvo into policy. We may tweak it. I am taking my speed from those who have that as their strength in terms of marketing and strategy. But just so the country knows, when I say that we are ready, we are serious that we are ready.”

DePeiza said the DLP was eager to represent Barbadians.

“I am feeling confident and pleased. Despite what the media was saying, all 30 candidates are out in full force with their people, cognizant of COVID and the times that we are in. So we are not here with full contingents, just representative contingents, but enough to demonstrate that the Democratic Labour Party is ready to represent the people of Barbados,” the DLP president said.

Asked about her thoughts on the announcement earlier in the day that the People’s Party for Democracy (PdP) and the United Progressive Party (UPP) have joined forces to contest the upcoming polls as one unit, DePeiza said she had no qualms about the development.

“I wish them all the best. This is a democratic process and I will never be a naysayer. We are all in the process of nation building, we all have to work together at the end of the day. We have different philosophies but I don’t think any one of us means ill for the country; therefore, you will never hear me say anything bad about either one of them.

“They need to know that the Democratic Labour Party is equal to whatever competition comes our way,” she declared. (SB)