Kellman guarded about support for DLP leader in St Lucy

Former St Lucy Member of Parliament Denis Kelllman is noncommittal about supporting the candidacy of Democratic Labour Party (DLP) leader Verla De Peiza in her bid to regain the northern seat for the Dems.

Asked specifically if he would support her when Barbadians go to the polls on January 19, Kellman told Barbados TODAY: “I don’t support personality, I support party.”

He represented the northern constituency for the DLP for 24 unbroken years, from 1994, before he and all the party’s other candidates lost their seats in the 2018 general election.

In late 2020, he publicised his desire to withdraw from elective politics when, in an interview with this newspaper, he charged he had been retired by the people as well as the DLP. A few months later, in April last year, De Peiza announced her intention to run in that constituency. Since then, Kellman’s absence on the political scene and radio talk shows, where he had become a regular contributor over the years, has been glaring.

Since Prime Minister Mia Mottley rang the election bell last week, Kellman has not been spotted at activities at the DLP headquarters in George Street or on the ground in St Lucy as part of De Peiza’s campaign. He was also not seen at Daryll Jordan Secondary School on Monday when the DLP leader was officially nominated for the seat and he has not yet publicly endorsed her.

Quizzed about this, the former Minister of Industry, Small Business and Rural Development said he was still a member of the DLP which he has supported for half a decade. However, he remained mum in response to questions about his support for the party president.

Pressed further about whether he would be lending his expertise to the party during the election campaign, Kellman responded: “Can I ask you a question? Can I just walk in your house just like that?”

On whether he had reached out to the executive and expressed his willingness to assist in the campaign, he added: “I have been offering expertise since 1971 and I never had to ask.”

Nonetheless, he maintained that the DLP indeed had his full support.

“Of course I can’t betray the Dems, that’s like betraying yourself. . . . [The] DLP, that is my bloodline,” Kellman insisted.
(KC)