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DLP column: Two years + Mia = Nought

10/24/2009

Can you believe the Leader of the Opposition is finally agreeing with the Prime Minister? The recent comments regarding the ‘ban on cell phones in schools’ by the Opposition leader, in the House of Assembly on Tuesday 20th October 2009 will go down in history. It appears to be the first public acknowledgment that the Prime Minister is doing something right.

Our Prime Minister has been consistent in his defence of the country’s youth. His call for a higher level of responsibility from the operators of the Public Service Vehicles was matched with free rides on public buses for all school children.

The securing of public funds, to enable a wider cross-section of young people, to attend camps all year round, at no cost is still to find favour with the Opposition. We are not holding out for support on these two issues but we challenge the Opposition to rescind this policy, whenever they see office again.

After nearly two years in Opposition, Mia has developed an ideology of opposing for opposing sake.

The Opposition advisors are doing an injustice to their leader who is clearly not going to be allowed to settle in. The history of her journey into Opposition would reveal that she has failed her public on every front since talking up office.

The hurried manner in which she has gone about selecting candidates illustrates a leader without a mission.

The public snubbing by her former boss Arthur and the current chairman, George Payne paints a picture of a love hate triangle. The public is already aware of the distance that was created by Arthur with regards to Payne during their term in office with no closing of the ranks since coming to opposition.

If Mia Mottley is to push ahead of her rivals at the next Barbados Labour Party’s Conference, she needs to join forces with George Payne to defeat Owen Arthur.

A Mia Mottley or a George Payne alone cannot defeat a confident Arthur. He has already fired a shot across the bow by indicating, he is willing to serve in whatever capacity members want him to serve. One cannot help but admire the strategy of the former BLP boss. He was very pointed and calculated when he opted to go public. He did it just ahead of the conference, thus sending Mia’s team into a tail spin.

The poorly put together recently held press conference on their 71st Annual Conference was another instrument that failed to capture the imagination of the public.

There is clear and present danger on the horizon for the waiting-in-vain Prime Minister. Her last two years have tallied = nought.

She has prepared the wicket for Arthur to return by opposing for opposing sake. He offered no leadership tutelage in the period, as his wish of her demise is beginning to take shape.

We trust, however, in the interest of the loyal Opposition that they get their act together and begin to focus more on the needs of the country and not those in Roebuck Street.

It is quite pitiful that a once boastful political party could now be a shadow of itself in less than two years. But congratulations are in order for without Mia Mottley at the helm, the BLP would not of have had the distinction of such an achievement.. Well done Mia..

Indices

as of close 9/15/2009


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