Estwick keeps eye on DLP presidency

One of the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP) “old guard” who was defeated in last week’s general election, has left the door open to contesting the newly-vacant position of party president held by Verla De Peiza.

Former Government minister Dr David Estwick who has served in various ministries including health, agriculture and economic affairs revealed on Monday he has not made a final decision yet, on if to run for leadership of the party.

“At this point in time, I am just watching the playing field. It is best to do it that way because I want to see what Mia [Mottley] is going to do. The continuing playing the game of somebody leaving the government and going to the opposition is foolishness. It is for her to decide to execute an amendment to the Constitution and start speaking to proportional representation,” Dr Estwick told Barbados TODAY this evening.

“You know, the president would normally have seven persons nominated to the Senate; the Opposition normally has two irrespective of how many votes they got [in a general election]. So the best way to have that is to just make an amendment and shift what would normally be the allocation for the president over to the party with the next largest number of votes, so you can have a better balance,” he suggested.

“So I am watching to see what she is going to do, unless you are going to follow the same road of somebody like [Joseph] Atherley…another person crossing the floor for expediency,” the former DLP minister declared.

Dr Estwick said the two allotments for the Opposition should remain.

“To me, I would not interfere with the Opposition two. That is defined in the law now. What I would do is that if you are going to create a new amendment…a new Constitution for the republican arrangement, do a proportional representation in regards to the number of senators that should be appointed based on the second-highest number of votes. The president normally has seven, but I don’t see why the president should have seven when nobody ain’t voted for the President,” the ex-Cabinet Minister contended.

“Those things she now has to work out very quickly. That is why I say it is best to wait and see what she is going to do before one starts to take steps going forward,” he emphasized.

The Prime Minister said Monday evening that she would consult with opposition parties that contested the general elections on the appointment of two Opposition Senators.

“It is the intention of this government again to engage with the opposition parties which contested the last two elections to determine how best they may participate in the appointment of two opposition senators provided for in our Constitution,” she said.

Mottley added that she is awaiting a legal opinion from the Honourable Attorney General on this matter before formal discussions begin with the opposition parties.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb