Editorial: The electoral battle is officially joined…

Not more than a few weeks ago, we observed that despite the absence of a formal dissolution of Parliament and of the advice to the Governor General to issue the writs for a general election of the members of the House of Assembly by the sole office constitutionally entitled to do so, this had not prevented various political parties aspiring to become the governing administration from beginning their electoral campaigns by publicising their proposals for a better life for citizens.
This general air of impatience has now become almost as palpable as that of goodwill that signals the onset of the Christmas season. This may be so for two principal reasons.

First, despite the affirmation of the Prime Minister that he intends for the current administration to go to the full extent of its term, section 62(3) of the Constitution appears to contemplate that the dissolution of Parliament is not a purely voluntary act on his part. According to this: “Subject to the provisions of subsection (4), Parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of its first sitting after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved.”

Of course, this does not gainsay that there may be a further period of ninety days for a Parliament during which the writs for a general election are returnable and that there may also be a preservation of the life of a Parliament in the unlikely event that Barbados is at war (section 61 (4)); or where there exists such an emergency between the dissolution and the general election that, in the opinion of the Prime Minister, requires the summonsing and reconvening of either one or both houses of the dissolved Parliament (section 61(5)).

In fine therefore, no matter what, a general election is, of necessity, imminent.

Second, the electoral campaign is the raison d’être of the political party. These organisations are not intended to be social groupings although such socialisation may be an inevitable part of those with an identity of political views. But the primary aim of the political party is to win the reins of office and thus to become the governing administration of a jurisdiction. Since there is one way only to do so constitutionally in a democratic polity that adheres to the rule of law, the unrelenting objective of the political party is to endear itself to the electorate so that its candidates win its approval in sufficient numbers in a majority of constituencies in the general election it contests.

Given this reasoning, there should have been no great surprise when, last week, the official Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) publicly announced its intention to begin its campaign for the upcoming elections. Indeed, we would have been even more surprised if that campaign had not begun the day after the last general election in 2013.

Electoral campaigns for us do not commence merely with the issuance of statements by the leader of a party of an intention to do so or with the placement of posters of its candidates on utility poles. Arguably, this may be constituted by any attempt to capture the vote of a member of the electorate, whether this is made manifest in policy statements, criticisms of an opponent’s policies whether with or without the prescription of alternatives, and availing oneself of circumstances that might inure to one’s political benefit, whether caused by the opponent party or not.

Were we not of this persuasion, we might have said, “Let the games begin”. However, in our view, they already have. A long time ago.