The past few days were intriguing, to say the least. First, we heard that a Cabinet decision was made to replace Independence Day with Barbados National Day.
After a huge uproar on social media, the call-in programmes and elsewhere, the day after we heard that the decision would be carried back to Cabinet. Today, we were told Cabinet reversed the decision and Independence Day, as we know it, remains, for now.
Amusing, though, is that Government spokesman Wilfred Abrahams said: “I am a member of the Government that listens and as we have done in the past we have listened to the voice of the people.”
If that were totally true there would have been a forum for the people to speak and maybe vote on becoming a Republic and on which day to celebrate that occasion. Both of those decisions were made without the input of the people.
But there were two things that happened that were heartening for democracy.
Firstly, Bajans from all walks of life voiced loudly their disapproval of the move. Many demanded that November 30 had to be Independence Day. Many called for a boycott of any events planned to observe Barbados National Day. Memes, tik-toks, videos and voice notes started to make the rounds. Bajans were in one accord, for the most part, with a few struggling to justify the move.
God Bless Bim on Independence Day by The Merrymen and RPB’s Issues of the Day became the two favourite songs from which to quote. The fact that Barbadians were assured last year that the day would not be changed incensed them even more.
The people’s actions sent a resounding message to the powers that be. So much so that not even a statement from Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley could cause them to cease and settle. Telling also was the fact that a sitting BLP MP Marsha Caddle, posted on her facebook page, her disapproval of her Government’s decision.
The truth is the people seem to have had enough! Remember it was just weeks ago that hundreds marched against the IDB survey administered by the Ministry of Education and called for the minister’s head. Days after the march, news broke that a sitting MP was charged with rape. In recent times, tensions have been growing among the populace as it relates to the governance.
The second thing about the saga worth mentioning was the response by the Democratic Labour Party. Actually, it was the leader Dr Ronnie Yearwood who started an online petition demanding the decision be reversed.
Dr Yearwood’s language at the DLP’s press conference was strong and combative. His presentation was in contrast to the manner he has tackled other issues in the past.
It should be apparent to the DLP that the people of Barbados need them even if they don’t know it. But the president, his hierarchy, or the base, should not see the name reversal as a party victory because it simply is not. There is so much work still to be done in order to defend the interest of the people.
Too many issues are going unchecked and decisions unchallenged.
Having all 30 seats in Parliament, and a large Cabinet of senior ministers and ministers, gives the ruling party plenty power to wield. In order to tilt and balance that power the president should have a shadow Cabinet on a more permanent and consistent basis.
We know well that between the period of 2018 to 2022 then Senator Caswell Franklyn took on a Rambo-like persona exposing issues that we might not have otherwise known about.
But Dr Yearwood is no Caswell Franklyn.
The leader really is relatively new to the task and needs to be surrounded by a strong, solid team. A group of knowledgeable and likeable people who will connect with the people. The art of good leadership is being able to use and manage the talents and skills of team members for overall success.
It remains a mystery why the DLP president started naming spokespersons or as he called it “working chairs” and to date has stopped short of adding to that list. Over the past weeks, public commentary and interventions via social media by the likes of former president Verla DePeiza and candidates such as Kemar Stuart, Ryan Walters, embattled teachers Pedro Shepherd and Alwyn Babb, demonstrated they are worthy, seemingly unused resources, not even named on the party’s “working chairs”.
We would hope that this most recent national debate would cause the president and the organs of his party to reflect long and hard about their political strategy
The DLP need not rejoice or claim this political about-turn as a victory. It belongs to the people. Instead, the task should be to rebuild trust. If you accomplish that, then you would have truly preserved the legacy of Errol Walton Barrow – the father of your party and the father of our Independence.
