PM has qualities of a true leader, says Blackett

THE electorate is being urged to be very careful who they elect to lead this country.

A leader, according to Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Candidate for St. Michael Central, Steven Blackett, is one who manages, guides and inspires.

“Comparisons have to be made of all of the leaders in Barbados. They must be weighed and measured, evaluated, examined, analysed, assessed and appraised. We as a people in Barbados have to do that. We have to be very careful who is elected to lead this country.

“We have had seven leaders to date in this country. All men of different characteristics and different character traits, but none to date has ever been characterised as having divine entitlement to leadership… Now, these characterisations are describing a prospective leader while in Opposition. Not yet in the position of Prime Minister, not yet exposed to power, not yet in a position to decide anyone’s future,” he stressed.

“On the other hand, we know what we currently have as leader, Freundel Jerome Stuart, the seventh Prime Minister of Barbados... The PM has character traits that are completely opposite to what is on offer on the other side.”

Blackett, the Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development, was at the time addressing the DLP’s Joint Branch Meeting at the Lawrence T. Gay Primary School in support of St. Michael North East candidate, Patrick Todd.

He assured Todd of his chances of gaining victory of the constituency, which has been a Barbados Labour Party stronghold since 1994.

“Patrick Todd is up against a candidate that is ordinary. He isn’t up against any giant and were it not for her surname, she would be any ordinary candidate,” said Blackett of MP for that constituency, Mia Mottley.

“She has no record of achievement – not at the national level, constituency level or the international level. Ask St. Michael North East constituents to point to one single project; a single lasting programme that she had undertaken in that constituency since she was the Member of Parliament. Ask 50 people at random if she changed their life for the better… I tell you without the shadow of doubt that you would get a resounding ‘no’ to that question.

“I want to say to Todd to go forward with courage and with your best game plan. I know that he will give her the fight of her life,” he told supporters. (TL)