Political watchers weigh in on Dems internal strife

Friday’s expulsions within the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) have sparked debate among two top political observers that also mirror deep-seated tensions and raise questions about the party’s future direction.

The removal of president Dr Ronnie Yearwood and general secretary Steve Blackett has elicited strongly contrasting responses from prominent political analysts Peter Wickham and Dr George Belle.

Wickham, principal director of the polling organisation Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES), expressed surprise at the severity of the action, describing it as “somewhat extreme”. But, he drew a distinction between the two cases, arguing that Blackett’s expulsion was “more justified” due to behaviour that had crossed the line.

“The expulsion was a bit of a surprise to me, and at first blush, I would say it is somewhat extreme,” he told Barbados TODAY. “I continue to believe that the removal of Blackett is more justified as he has behaved in a way that is frankly beyond redemption and his actions have damaged the party irreparably.”

His assessment of Yearwood’s expulsion was markedly different, viewing it as a significant loss for the DLP.

“The DLP has lost an asset,” Wickham said of Dr Yearwood. Once considered “one of the brightest political prospects for leadership on our local horizon”, he has now been “consigned to the political history books”.

Dr Belle, the former dean of the University of the West Indies faculty of social sciences, offered a more strategic interpretation of the expulsions. He suggested they were a calculated move by the party leadership to quell internal dissent, describing it as a response to “stubborn” resistance from the expelled members which he believes forced the leadership’s hand.

“The decision seems to have been thought of by the leading members of the party, that this is the way forward and the best thing is to remove those persons who they think might be causing a persistent problem,” he said.

Dr Belle posited that this drastic action could potentially stabilise the party, particularly if it gains support from the general membership or delegates at the forthcoming annual conference.

“This should give some stability to the DLP to recover from the debacle that it has been experiencing for the past few months and settle themselves down to prepare for whenever the next election is called,” Dr Belle noted.

The expulsions are not the only source of controversy within the DLP. Long-standing party member Undine Whittaker has raised alarm over what she perceives as a broader erosion of democratic principles within the 69-year-old opposition party. Whittaker’s concerns extend beyond the high-profile expulsions to encompass recent changes in party procedures, particularly the introduction of electronic voting for the upcoming annual conference.

Whittaker criticised the implementation of electronic voting in the party, arguing that it was done without adequate consultation or consideration for older party members.

“This cannot be democratic,” she asserted, pointing out that elderly members are less familiar with technology and should have been informed well in advance. “If you are going to do this type of situation, inform members from as long ago as you could.”

Her critique cuts to the heart of the DLP’s identity crisis, questioning whether the party is living up to its democratic ideals.

“The fact that democracy is enshrined or should be enshrined within our name, the Democratic Labour Party, and that whatever we seek to do, that should be the major issue that should be coming through,” she stressed, reflecting on the erosion of democratic practices within the party. “You must wonder where democracy has gone and where it is going, and how can we champion democracy for others if we are not championing it within our own confines and within our own institutions?”

Despite these challenges, Whittaker remains committed to the DLP’s core principles and survival. Her impassioned declaration, “The Democratic Labour Party must live on,” underscores the deep loyalty many members feel towards the party, even in the face of internal turmoil.

A more optimistic Whittaker declared: “There are persons who are prepared to work towards the life of the Democratic Labour Party.”