Eastmond says APP candidates ready to lead

Capable, ready to listen and bring representation that will be beneficial to Barbados.

That’s how deputy leader of the Alliance for Progress Party (APP) Lynette Eastmond has described the 20 candidates contesting the January 19 polls as representatives of the coalition party.

Speaking on Tuesday evening during a pre-recorded virtual candidates showcase that was broadcast on Facebook, Eastmond said the Bishop Joseph Atherley-led party has the right mix of experience and youth drawn from various landscapes and professions who will, most importantly, uphold the belief that in a democratic society such as Barbados, the voice of the people must always be respected and heard.

“I, myself, have been a member of the Owen Arthur Cabinet along with my colleague Bishop Atherley. This gave us an opportunity to see how a government should be run properly and how a Cabinet should function – and the emphasis here is on consultations, the emphasis is on hearing every view,” she said.

“I recall being in Cabinet and recognising that the chair of the Cabinet ensured that we went around the table so that every single voice could be heard, not only the ones who were the experts. If it was a matter of food prices, it wasn’t just those who had been trained in economics but those who understood the impact that food prices would have on families.

“And that now seems to be missing in Barbados. We are not having the consultations that we should have in making these very important issues for Barbados. The Alliance will bring us back to that position where we consult amongst ourselves but also consult with stakeholders and the wider public,” Eastmond maintained.

Reiterating the importance of universal suffrage, she implored Barbadians to turn out on Election Day and vote APP which intends to, based on its 10-point plan, to eliminate corruption; implement policies that will give way to people-centred initiatives which bring meaningful benefits; introduce a growth model that results in shared prosperity for all and not skewed to only benefit a privileged few; expand land, business and capital ownership opportunities in Barbados; as well as build out a democracy in which power, in real and actual terms, resides in the hands of the people.

“Because of governments’ past inability to deal with corruption, we now face the prospect that only a small clique of individuals will actually see wealth in Barbados. So, we are creating a super-class of wealthy people and it seems to me an underclass. Barbados cannot allow this to happen. This is happening because opportunities are being hidden from Barbadians. They are not being allowed to take advantage of the opportunities that come up from day to day because corruption is not simply about stealing money. In my view, corruption is also about preventing our people from accessing the opportunities that countries like Barbados can develop,” Eastmond said.

“We must never take the right [to vote] for granted. It was fought for over many years and now that we have that right and that privilege, we should not take it for granted. And it is for this reason that I am asking all of you out there to come out in your numbers. . . . Every election is important and this one is just as important as any other election. I personally trust Barbadians to always make the right choice. On this occasion, we need to put right what we did in 2018,” she added. (KC)