Walters warns power shift from voters to political parties

Opposition Senator Ryan Walters accused the Mottley administration of pushing through a constitutional amendment that could weaken parliamentary democracy by shifting power from voters to political parties.

In a statement released on Tuesday as debate on the amendment bill began in the lower House of Assembly, Sen Walters said the proposal was “one of the most significant and consequential” to come before the country in recent times.

“This is not a routine amendment,” he said. “It is not a technical adjustment. It is a proposal that strikes at the very heart of how our democracy functions, how power is exercised, and whose voice ultimately matters in this country.”

If the constitutional amendment is ratified, a Member of Parliament who resigns from their political party, is expelled, or crosses the floor would automatically lose their seat in the House of Assembly, triggering a by-election. While the measure has been framed as a way to promote political stability, Sen Walters questioned that rationale.

“Stability must never be used as a convenient slogan to avoid deeper scrutiny. We must ask plainly and honestly: stability for whom, and at what cost?” he said.

Sen Walters argued that under Barbados’ existing legal framework, parliamentary seats belong to elected representatives and the constituents they serve — not to political parties. He pointed to the Representation of the People Act, noting that it does not recognise political parties as legal actors in the nomination or election of candidates.

“Candidates are nominated as individuals. They campaign as individuals. They are elected as individuals,” he said. “Once elected, they serve in the House of Assembly as Members of Parliament and not as property of a political organisation.”

According to Sen Walters, inserting what he described as “party ownership of seats” into the Constitution without broader reform of electoral laws risks creating “legal contradictions, uncertainty, and constitutional confusion”.

The opposition senator, who represents the Democratic Labour Party, also raised concerns about the democratic implications of the proposal, suggesting it could concentrate power in the hands of party leadership.

“Under this proposal, an MP who speaks out against a party decision… could face expulsion and immediate removal from Parliament,” Sen Walters said. “In effect, the voice of thousands of voters could be silenced overnight, not by an election, but by an internal party meeting.”

In a Westminster-style, first-past-the-post system such as in Barbados, seats are traditionally understood to belong to representatives and their constituents, he argued. While some Caribbean countries, such as Guyana, have anti-defection provisions, Sen Walters noted that those operate within proportional representation systems where parties are elected through party lists — a model Barbados does not use.

Sen Walters further contended that constitutional reform should not be approached in a piecemeal manner. Citing commentary from legal academic Troy Lorde, he said the Constitution is “the supreme law of the land” and must not be reduced to a matter of “legislative convenience”.

The senator also questioned the timing of the amendment, arguing that Barbadians are currently grappling with rising living costs, healthcare pressures and concerns about public safety.

“By tying parliamentary survival to party allegiance, this amendment risks creating a Parliament of silence rather than service,” he said. “It discourages independent thought. It suppresses dissent.”

While acknowledging that “political stability matters”, Sen Walters maintained that stability achieved by “weakening democratic choice” and “concentrating power in the hands of a few” was not genuine stability but control.

“This is a constitutional amendment,” he said. “It demands wide consultation, scrutiny, and open, honest national dialogue. The Constitution does not belong to any political party… It belongs to the people of Barbados.”

The debate must rise above partisan politics, Sen Walters added, stressing that the issue is not who governs today, “but how Barbados is governed tomorrow”.