Senator Crystal Drakes has expressed reservations about lowering the age for individuals to become a member of the House of Assembly, though she fully supports the lowering of the age for the Senate.
Drakes, a two-term Senator, was debating the Constitution (Amendment) Bill in the Upper Chamber on Friday when she shared the view.
This Bill seeks to change the qualifications for membership of the Senate and the House of Assembly and to make better provision for a vacancy in the office of the Leader of the Opposition.
Drakes, who became a member of the Senate at the age of 30, said politics could get “ugly” and she did not believe an 18-year-old should be involved at the level of being an elected member of the House.
“I am in no way standing here saying that an 18-year-old should not be eligible to sit in the Senate. That will get my full support,” said Drakes.
“I however, Mr President, have my reservations with an 18-year-old being able to sit as an elected member of the House of Assembly, and I say that on the backdrop of there is an ugly side to politics. It is not roses and candy all the time,” she said.
Questioning how many 18 or 19-year-olds were chief executive officers or sitting on boards even in the public sector, Drakes said there were several scenarios that could prove challenging to having someone at that age in a senior position.
She also believed the nation should have a say in whether the age was lowered for someone to enter elective politics.
“I have my reservations as it relates to the age being lowered. I will not stand here and say that the Government does not have its good intentions, I also still believe the people of Barbados should have a say in that matter. It is a significant matter,” she said.
“There is also the issue of manipulation and persuasion. There are older persons who would take advantage of younger people who may, because of their inability to know what is happening around them, be persuaded into situations where they are unable to make the right decisions, and because they have the peer pressure around would guide them in a direction that is not best for them but what is best for the older individual,” she explained.
“These are the kinds of scenarios that we have to think about. Life is not all roses and fairytale especially when you are talking about politics. Young people also have sometimes the ability to just say what they want to say in the moment of haste and heat, and the public scrutiny that comes with that, there are some people who may not be able to, even in their old age, be able to cope with the kinds of criticisms especially if you are talking about the Barbadian public. They can be ruthless in their criticisms when we say and do things they do not agree with,” she added.
Drakes supported young people “having a voice”, adding that she believed the public should have a say on what the age should be for entering elective politics.
“Let the Barbadian public have their say on if we wish to reduce the eligibility of an elected member in the House of Assembly. There are two sides to this coin – in promoting the youth let’s also protect them,” she said. (MM)
