Brathwaite talks up St Joseph chances

The Barbados Labour Party’s new St Joseph candidate, businessman Ryan Brathwaite, has declared the rural riding “ready whenever the election is called” as he banks on road works and other infrastructure upgrades to keep the long-time Barbados Labour Party stronghold in the ruling party’s column.

 

Brathwaite was formally endorsed last weekend at Grantley Adams Memorial School, a development that followed the announcement at last month’s BLP 86th annual conference that current MP and Attorney general Dale Marshall will not be contesting the seat again.

 

Brathwaite told Barbados TODAY in an interview that the nomination exercise demonstrated that the party’s support in the constituency remained firm.

 

He said: “I’m happy with how things went, how the turnout was. I think it was an overwhelming response from persons across the Barbados Labour Party family, as well as my branch members from St Joseph. We have a large branch. We have over 1 400 people in the branch. It was good to see persons coming out, even though it was expected to be uncontested. It was so good to see that, you know, there wasn’t a level of complacency amongst the branch members, and it turned out to ensure that we sent a message to the parish and to the country that St Joseph is ready whenever the election is called.”

 

He said he was “quietly confident” about his political prospects in the constituency.

 

“I am confident that, as a party, as a government, we’ve done enough in St Joseph to show that there’s a commitment to St Joseph,” he said. “I’m confident that St Joseph will remain with the Barbados Labour Party, a party that has shown commitment to the constituency. Residents are upbeat, young people are engaged and persons are joining the branch and I think that is a good thing. That is a good sign of things to come.”

 

Brathwaite, an alumnus of Combermere, pointed to several recent infrastructural developments as evidence of progress, noting that constituents had seen tangible improvements in recent months.

 

“We just had the completion of the Laynes Bridge, a bridge that was closed for 18 months. We have work ongoing in Airy Hill. Those are two bridges that lead to major arteries into St Joseph. We have community roads being paved and we have major roads being paved as well.”

 

Earlier work, including new clinics, community centres and reservoirs had already been done, he added.

 

“St Joseph is a vast constituency, spanning almost five different parishes. Sometimes when work is happening in one area, you can’t detect that work is happening because the villages are so remote but I am here to tell everyone that work is happening. And based on all discussions with various ministries and so forth, more work is to be done. And I’m sure that over the next couple of months or so, you will see that unfolding.”

 

While the state of the roads remains the chief concern raised by residents, Brathwaite noted that other issues require attention as well.

 

He said: “The road infrastructure has been perhaps the biggest concern, but there’s still other things that persons have been mentioning and asking for. Even from my own experiences and my vision for the constituency, there are things that I would like to see happen.

 

“I would like to see more opportunities for young people to grow and develop. Whether it is sporting talent that needs to be addressed, entrepreneurial pursuits. These are things that I want to see happen in St Joseph. We have a lot of talent and I want to see that come to the fore.

 

“Persons are crying out for work but not everybody will be able to get a government job, but for those persons that will not have the benefit of working within the public sector, helping them to develop their own skills that they can help themselves.

 

“These are things that I believe will be low hanging fruit. And certainly areas that I can perhaps use my own expertise and my own experiences to help develop within the parish.”

 

Brathwaite also addressed concerns about how increasing tourism development along the east coast could affect traditional access and cultural practices, particularly in light of the recent high court ruling that upheld long-standing public access rights at Joe’s River.

 

He said: “I respect the ruling that was handed down. I think the ruling underscores what the residents of Joes River and Bathsheba already knew. And I would only hope that any future development would continue to be in alignment, it would respect the traditions and the rites of passage that already exist for those residents.

 

“I believe that that precedent should remain and residents and even the landowners can continue to coexist harmoniously despite and in spite of any development to take place.”

(SZB)