The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has been told that in order to maintain and regain the trust of the majority of Barbados it has to adopt an improved and reimagined way of doing things.
“Now it is time for you the DLP to put your house in order,” Dominican senator Clement Marcellin Jr. said.
A guest speaker at the party’s 67th annual general conference held on Saturday, Marcellin expressed the belief that the people of Barbados needed the DLP as they grapple with continued hardships and “to steer this ship safely back into the safe harbour”. This is even though the people seemingly disagreed when the DLP failed to retain a single seat at the January 19 polls following the May 25, 2018 30-0 loss at the General Election.
He said: “I say it is time for the Democratic Labour Party to understand that sooner than you think you will be called to duty to address the current challenges that are being faced by your mighty nation … You must be ready to be the next government by the way of consulting with the electorate in earnest, developing transformational policies and effectively communicating these ideas to the people. You must be willing to stimulate thinking through constant engagement with your people so they can understand the direction that you are taking as an institution. And that is so critical to ensure that you are aligned to your overall objective, which is serving the people.”
The politician believed that Barbadians need to know that the DLP is, according to him, the vanguard which is ready to put people first and put the idea of self under subjection. Even more, he said it was important and the party must not be afraid to reach out to the wider society and let them know that “you are … here and care for them”. This responsibility he stressed does not rest solely on the shoulder of the leader.
Marcellin also issued a stern warning to the Dems. Similar to the DLP leader Dr. Ronnie Yearwood’s mantra of “new politics”, Marcellin touted a new style of representation that must be embraced if the party is to endure. This included avoiding the “cardinal sin” of offering false hope in order to win a vote. (KC)
