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by Michael Ray
The second occasion on which the Barbados Labour Party won all 30 seats in the House of Assembly has forced the incumbent administration to seek a number of Constitutional amendments.
These amendments are related to the absence of a parliamentarian who can qualify for the position of Opposition
Leader and the desire of the Prime Minister to have an 18-year-old selected to the Senate.
There has been much debate and public discourse surrounding the appointment of a Senator under the age of 21 years and the fact that there is no person who is willing to cross the floor to become Leader of the Opposition.
Columnists and commentators spanning various media are suggesting that we are heading for a “constitutional crisis”, yet others are quoting distinct sections of the Constitution to show that any perceived hitches can be easily and readily untangled by way of powers vested in HE President Mason.
Nevertheless, some of the most forceful and plausible arguments relate to the need for retaining, maintaining and deepening our democratic governance structures.
There is a significant number of voices across various media that stress the continual existence of strong democratic traditions within our governance systems, particularly at the parliamentary level.
It was not strange to hear the Prime Minister saying: “The Democratic Labour Party and other political parties, even though they did not win the election, received support from citizens of our nation and residents of our nation, and those citizens and residents have a right, in my view, in a restructured Parliament, and in a restructured Barbados, to have their voices heard.”
In another comment and in relation to the Democratic Labour Party, the Prime Minister said: “But I trust and pray that they will understand that this goes beyond the politics of the day and this goes fundamentally to the strengthening of our democracy.”
The seriousness and concern about our parliamentary democracy was also underscored when Attorney General Dale Marshall led off debate on the Constitutional amendments saying: “We have to find a way to give those individuals who did not win at the polls, a voice in our affairs . . . there must be a balance”. He further emphasised, “We feel it is important that at this time we take some steps to enshrine the deepening of our democracy”.
It is the hope and expectancy of this letter-writer, when the appropriate time comes that each and every parliamentarian will give assent to a Constitutional amendment ushering in a system of Proportional Representation.
While “Party List” voting is widely used within European democracies and the Republic of South Africa, it would be most beneficial to have a good look at the various types of Proportional Representation systems rather than “First-past-the-pole”.
Let’s hope that whatever enthusiasm is currently being expressed, there will be a waxing and not a semblance of waning in efforts to deepen and expand our democracy.
