Hewitt promoting a new dawn for democracy

Reverend Guy Hewitt has officially thrown his hat in the ring for the presidency of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), contending that his love for Barbados has propelled him to stand up, step forward and urge others to join him on a “journey to preserve this country’s democracy”.

He made the comments yesterday evening at the Hilton Barbados, where he officially launched his candidature. Addressing an audience that included party members, formers Members of Parliament, Senate and Cabinet, and members of the private sector, he effectively signalled his goal to speak out against the shortcomings of the current Administration, to lead the DLP into the next general election and inaugurate a new dawn for democracy in Barbados.

“Barbados has been blessed with a few great leaders, some good ones, and given the law of averages, one or two not so good, and that is not for us to debate tonight. But the strength of our democracy, the strength of our society has been the conviction that both our leaders and our people held a responsibility to this fair land of ours. But tragically, our tradition of outstanding leaders and statespersons have given way to those who use politics for personal glory and advantage and are preoccupied with creating a personal legacy. Equally tragic is the culture of fear that now permeates our politics,” he told those gathered.

Hewitt said while he had no intention previously of getting into politics and did not think he had the “psyche of a politician”, he has since changed his mind, indicating that persons within and outside of the DLP have made it clear that the time is ripe for new leadership, not just in the DLP but, he argued, more importantly in Barbados.

“Today, today comrades is the first step in the journey to reclaim the soul of our nation. We need to renew confidence in the party of the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow. We need to restore democracy and social values and social cohesion and create opportunities for economic empowerment,” he maintained.

Hewitt continued, “It cannot be, it should not be that our young, unskilled males are faced with a binary choice of drugs on one side, or cleaning the public road on the other. That is not good enough.”

The political first-timer’s comments came as he expressed serious concern about the management of this country and contended that the last three years under the current Administration have not been good for democracy, society and our economy.

“I know that Barbadians never intended in 2018 to go to the polls to create a one-party state, or to vanquish the Democratic Labour Party for eternity. However, I am equally aware that the populace wanted to send a clear message of the type of leadership and politics that would not be tolerated. And we in the Democratic Labour Party have to say to Barbados, ‘We hear you and we get you.’ But now we have to send a message to the current Administration...” he said.

Hewitt lamented that the country is once again in a severe recession, with the debt-to-GDP ratio skyrocketing and unemployment rates at “catastrophic” levels. Contending that people are suffering, the former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom said, “We can and we should do better.”

“We have seen and I have articulated how the promises made on integrity, and transparency and good governance have all largely been broken. We must do better,” he maintained. (JRT)