Alternative candidates enter St James North race to challenge status quo

Fresh candidates from the Bajan Free Party and Community Empowerment Party have entered the St James North by-election, creating a four-way contest in a bid to challenge the dominance of Barbados’ two major political parties.

Alex Mitchell of the Bajan Free Party and independent candidate Steffanie Williams announced their candidacy on Monday, the eve of Nomination Day.

Both candidates paid their $250 nomination deposit at the Treasury, formally signalling their intention to contest the May 21 poll. Mitchell and Williams join BLP candidate Senator Chad Blackman and the DLP’s Felicia Dujon in the now four-way race for the seat, vacated by MP Edmund Hinkson who resigned last month.

Mitchell, clad in black and without fanfare, told reporters that he will bring a different style of politics to the table, one that is focused on land justice, anti-corruption and community empowerment.

Making his intention clear, he said: “I’m going to be running in the St James North election, hoping that we get the support for the nomination, since that’s not an area we normally run in; this is the best way to get the word out.”

Mitchell is no stranger to politics. He previously contested the 2020 St George North by-election, where he campaigned on a similar platform centred around exposing corruption and promoting land rights.

In this new race, he said his campaign would not be guided by personal ambition, but by the needs of the people.

“They’ll tell me what they want. It’s not what I want for St James [North] – it’s what they want. They’ll give me the orders, and that’s what we’ll do for them,” he said when asked about his plans for the constituency.

One of the party’s key promises is to assist residents in clearing land titles and building equity.

Mitchell claimed without evidence that the Bajan Free Party is the majority landowner in the area and wants to use that position to regularise land issues and jumpstart housing development.

“We want to start building the 44 100 three-bedroom, two-bath houses we’ve talked about. We already have the land. We just need to straighten out the documents and papers for the people up there.”

Sharing that he has already begun canvassing the area, Mitchell admitted that the response has been poor with the exception of two people seeking a payout for their support.

He however noted that he will not resort to vote buying, a practice he accused other parties of participating in.

“We’re not going to participate in that kind of corruption,” he said.

Mitchell said his campaign is built on exposing corruption, promoting transparency, and restoring trust in public life – values the party has maintained since its founding.

He told reporters that his intention is to rally other members to join the party to contend for other seats in the general elections constitutionally set for 2027; and to hopefully form a coalition to displace the leading Barbados Labour Party (BLP) and the opposing Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

Also entering the race on Monday was Steffanie Williams, who is contesting under the banner of the Community Empowerment Party.

Williams – a mother, education advocate and community volunteer – revealed that she was initially selected as a candidate for the United Progressive Party.

However, after the party decided to hold off on contesting the by-election, she chose to continue independently.

“I had already been out canvassing, I would have met with persons, and I really didn’t want to disappoint them,” she told Barbados TODAY.

Williams said voters can expect “a voice for the voiceless”, stressing that too many residents are being ignored.

“In my opinion, and in the opinion of a lot of persons, out there, they are not being heard. We have a lot of stuff going on in the communities and they are not being addressed,” she said.

“We are tired of the pretty talk and the broken promises, and we want better.”
shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb