The battle is on for the hearts and minds of the Barbadian electorate as they prepare to cast their votes. While we would never seek to discount the impact of those seeking to represent third parties, it is expected to be a straight fight between the incumbent Barbados Labour Party (BLP) and the established opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
Over the years, Barbadians have taken the matter of general elections as a serious civic responsibility and have been active participants in the process.
Emerging from the announcement of Prime Minister Mottley of a snap election a year and half before it is constitutionally due, were some developments that can only be described as messy.
One of the most disruptive tangles has been that of the right of those infected with COVID-19 to cast their votes on election day on January 19. At present, almost 1,500 are situated between home isolation and government-operated isolation facilities.
It is unclear how many of those persons are of age and registered to vote, but that is still a substantial number of people to be disadvantaged from participating in the process.
Furthermore, with our infection numbers on the rise, this period immediately after the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations could see a substantial rise in cases, if projections hold true.
The fact that the decision on a general election date is entirely in the hands of the incumbent party, citizens are rightly questioning why provisions were not made to protect the interests of such a large group of people who might not have faced this challenge had the election not been called at this time.
The administration has also been criticised for not putting provisions in place first, aware that the country was in the midst of a pandemic. Other countries like Bermuda, as we have articulated on this editorial page, made provision for those infected with COVID-19 to vote early, thus ensuring they were not disenfranchised.
“It’s very simple. Those people in isolation cannot leave home, so they can’t vote,” was the position of Leslie Haynes, chairman of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC).
It was a matter-of-fact statement. No suggestion that the commission was pursuing or considering any kind of arrangement that would accommodate the near 1 500 people who may be eligible to vote and want to exercise their franchise.
There are many issues up for consideration by the electorate, but the controversy regarding the voting rights of COVID-positive patients is an entirely self-inflicted wound by the incumbent party.
It might appear that the BLP election machinery may have neglected this aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic response, and it could lead to another issue which the opposition parties can leverage against the administration in their platform attacks.
Political pollster and scientist Peter Wickham, in a recent commentary said “the DLP appears woefully unprepared” and that a mighty 28 per cent electoral swing was needed for the Verla De Peiza-led party to take back the Government.
The initial response from BLP spokesperson Ambassador Elizabeth Thompson that her party expects to “lose some seats” was telling. It appears to be an admission that the shine of the historic massive swing that provided Prime Minister Mottley with all 30 seats three years ago, was wearing off.
On the other hand, the tails of those in the DLP camp are in the air, confident that some of them will be back in the House of Assembly before the end of the month.
Whether they benefit from “cuh-dear votes” or a concerted effort by the electorate to ensure there was a formidable opposition in Parliament, the DLP is well-advised to temper their excitement and concentrate on putting a strong case to an electorate, which still believes the party is not ready after three years in opposition.
In any event, we are not convinced that at this stage, enough voters are so disenchanted with the party in power, that they are prepared to throw them out of office after one term.
The track record of voters in Barbados suggests that the electorate tends to give the party in power “another chance” to impress them before being dogmatic about their choice.
But this is an unpredictable period. There is pandemic exhaustion, there is voter apathy, high unemployment, an inordinate number of ‘new’ candidates and parties from which to choose, and traditional outcomes may not hold.
Into the mix has also come the news that former Government Senator, confidante, childhood friend, and personal political strategist of Prime Minister Mottley, Lucille Moe, has joined forces with the DLP.
It is an intriguing development. And while the BLP leader has not publicly commented on the matter, it is sure to be raised on political platforms over the next three weeks.
Our advice to the electorate is to focus on the issues, monitor the campaigns, discern policy positions from rhetoric, maintain the pandemic protocols, and exercise the power to vote. It is a cause for which people in many parts of the world are dying to maintain in the face of tyrannical oppression.
