Get the Facts

THE country is still in good hands.

This was the word coming from Democratic Labour Party (DLP) General Secretary, George Pilgrim, who was speaking at the DLP headquarters yesterday for the official launch of the DLP e-Facts campaign. He called the Opposition’s strategy a campaign of fear and corrosion with the ultimate objective to undermine the image of ‘Brand Barbados’.

He stated, “The DLP is officially reminding Barbadians of the importance of having documented facts… We don’t believe Barbadians should be burdened by fear in their lives. The importance of facts is to allow our people to have a clear appreciation of what this Party has delivered for Barbados and the launch of our e-Facts is the effort of the DLP to sensitise Barbadians to the truth.

“Elected officials should not be abusing the privilege of their office to create a sense of fear. Elected officials have a responsibility to tell the truth and not just be the first to make news. In this regard, I must commend the Opposition party for the remarkable job they have been doing at distorting every digit and ideal of what Brand Barbados means.”

During the press conference, the party simultaneously sent out 2 018 WhatsApp messages to Barbadians with one of the DLP Fact cards.

Pilgrim said, “This is one of our first official blasts of our e-Facts to people throughout the world as we engage in an information campaign aimed at stabilising the climate of Barbados… We have mounted four e-versions of our Fact cards, which illustrates our successes over the years… Every day the party will upload an e-Fact about the country’s progress… We launch online because Facebook is the most cost-effective way of having a large audience.”

In terms of the upcoming Barbados Labour Party March and Rally “Step Up If Yuh Fed Up”, Pilgrim believes, “The country is served a diet of doom and gloom. They have asked Barbadians to protest… I have checked and done the maths… They have spent over 20 000 dollars in online ads, in the newspaper, coupled with radio ads, etc. The Opposition has spent over 100 000 dollars in one week to sensitise people about a march. Where is the Opposition getting this money coming from?

“To those of you who are marching, ask yourself [on] whose backs are you marching as a result of this money spent? We accept that the times are not ordinary, but by marching you are accepting money and supporting a new dimension in political life… Barbadians do not destroy Barbados through politics…,” he warned.

Pilgrim added, “This Party stands committed to ensure that we keep people employed, the maintenance of our social services, etc.

“We have never defaulted on paying our debt. Barbados stands as a model country in the region. There are challenges and what has occurred in the country is this perception that Barbados is falling apart… How is it in these times a Government can do so much with so little?

“I suggest that you research the definition of a downgrade and the review of an economy, and the fact that Barbados does not default on repaying its loans, including a bill every January for the prison we inherited. This says that the country is still in good hands…” Pilgrim stated. (NB)