Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for St James South, Dr Ronnie Yearwood has declared he is not seeking to represent the constituency for personal gain but to improve the lives of the people living there.
In fact, he said although not yet elected MP for the area, he has worked on several projects in the community, such as free Wi-Fi access, that has had a positive impact on residents.
That work, Yearwood said, was for the betterment of the community and not about personal gain or glory.
“That is what we did. I say ‘we’, not ‘me’, because it is all of us together. I don’t want my name on [any] projects. I came into the community and helped to build what exists here. I don’t need to pull down something and to erect something because it is the glory of Ronnie Yearwood. It’s not about me, it’s about you,” he told residents. “It will always be about you. I am here to add value, that is what it is about.”
At the same time, Yearwood declared that his record of service in the constituency is an admirable one, compared to that of the current Member of Parliament for the area, Sandra Husbands.
“I have a record in St James South, in Haynesville, in these communities that I can stand on, and I am not the Member of Parliament. That should tell you something. That should tell you that I care and that I am committed,” he said.
“The vision that I have for St James South, the vision that I have for Barbados, is built on one about empowerment because I believe that you have to be able to make decisions that are good for your life. It is not about the Government directing and telling you what to do. You need the power, you need the resources, and you need the ability to make the decisions that are good for you.”
The political hopeful added that although the DLP had made mistakes over the years, it remained consistent in its support for the constituency.
“I am the first to accept that the Democratic Labour Party has not always gotten it right. I get that. Over the years, we have all taken our lashes – some of them deserved, some of them not deserved – but I am here to tell you that we have never left you. We have always been here for you and we would never leave you,” he said. (SB)
