Pilgrim queries Moore’s nomination

Calls for answers, greater transparency

FORMER General Secretary of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) George Pilgrim has raised a red flag following the announcement of the decision to replace former Cabinet Minister Gline Clarke with General Secretary of Barbados Workers’ Union, Toni Moore.

On Wednesday night Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley made the announcement that the National Executive Council of the BLP overwhelmingly supported Moore for the post. Clarke will resign as Member of Parliament of St. George North on September 30. The date of the by-election has not yet been called.

Pilgrim, in a statement issued yesterday, congratulated Moore on her nomination and thanked Clarke for his 26 years of service to Barbados, but said the nomination raises quite a few questions.

According to Pilgrim, “Can Ms. Toni Moore as a declared candidate for the Barbados Labour Party credibly continue to serve as the co-chair of the “Independent Body” charged with monitoring the implementation of the much touted “BERT Programme?”.

“Can a member of the Barbados Labour Party serve as a member of such a monitoring body?  Is Ms. Moore a member of the Barbados Labour Party and if so how long has she been a member?”

“Should such membership have been declared when she was appointed to serve as Co-Chair of an “Independent” monitoring body? Was Ms. Moore duty-bound to declare any formal party affiliations before taking the oath as an “Independent senator appointed by the Governor General. Will Ms. Toni Moore be reassigned to a Senate seat if she loses in the by-election?”

Pilgrim noted that during a recently held DLP meeting, he questioned the “troubling issue” of the fragile nature of our democracy and what needs to be done to strengthen the bonds as a society. He challenged that the state of the democracy in Barbados is in unchartered waters.

“We are familiar with political unionism and the courtship between unionists and political parties. This is not new to Barbados, think Sir. Frank Walcott, Leroy Trotman, Bobby Morris, Evelyn Greaves and so on. What is new however, are the times we are in and our expectations, as well as the fact that the political stripes of these gentlemen was no secret while they practiced unionism.”

“Citizens are demanding greater transparency and democracy as promised by the current administration when in Opposition. How is our democracy advanced by the co-option of the leader of the largest private sector leader to the fold of a government that already holds all 30 seats?”

“Barbadians are watching on,” he warned.

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