PM says President-elect Bostic is the man for the moment

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has deemed President-elect the Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic a man who has proven his capacity for leadership under pressure, commands respect across all sectors of society and can be a unifying figure.

Mottley was speaking on Tuesday at a joint session of Parliament’s Lower House and Senate, as MPs and senators approved the nomination of Bostic, a former Member of Parliament for The City of Bridgetown, to the position of Head of State, following the end of the term of office of President Sandra Mason on November 30.

Showering praise on President-elect Bostic, whom she and Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne jointly nominated, Mottley told the Chamber the position of Head of State demands someone “with the moral authority that comes only from a lifetime of putting nation and community before self”.

According to the Prime Minister: “I believe that Jeffrey Bostic possesses all of these qualities. His record speaks eloquently [with] multi-disciplinary coordination, policy development and implementation, strategic planning, and proven leadership.”

Mottley, the long-serving MP for St Michael North East, said, “Those who have served alongside him testify to his integrity, his wisdom, and his deep love of his country.”

She outlined: “As we continue to build our republic, we need a president… who embodies both continuity and progress. Someone who’s rooted in our best traditions while open to our evolving future. Lieutenant Colonel Bostic’s career has been a testament to bridge-building between military and civilian leadership, between national and regional security, between Barbados and the wider world, between different generations of Bajans who have all benefited from his service.

“Whether sitting on the steps in Chapman and Emmerton Lane, or whether sitting in the Parliament, or whether sitting in the previous role that he had at State House, Government House, or in the Barbados Defence Force Headquarters. At 64 years of age, he brings maturity and experience, but yet, if you know him, he retains the energy and the vision necessary for the responsibilities ahead.”

Listing President-elect Bostic’s many accomplishments, the Prime Minister reminded the country of his academic and military achievements including his postgraduate diploma in Advanced Continental Defence Studies from the prestigious Inter-American Defence College, his studies at the National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in the United States, as well as his training in conflict resolution and multidisciplinary cooperation at the Lester Pearson Peacekeeping Centre in Canada.

The former aide-de-camp to late former Governor General Sir Hugh Springer was characterised by the Prime Minister as a man who would bring the unifying qualities to the office which he displayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During her address to Parliament, the Prime Minister also paid respect to outgoing President Dame Sandra Mason whom she described as a shining example and model for girls in Barbados.

“The grace, dignity, and distinction with which she discharged her office, solemn duties of Head of State, shall be indelibly inscribed in the chronicles of our history. We extend our profound gratitude for the elegance, propriety, and noble bearing she brought to the office of President. We are deeply indebted to her family for their generosity in sharing her talents with the nation,” Mottley told the Chamber.

(IMC)