St. Michael West MP setting out on new, unexplored path
HEAD of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill campus, Dr. Don Marshall, said that while he is not surprised about the move by St. Michael West MP Rev. Joseph Atherley to cross the floor, he is surprised at the speed with which it has happened.
At the same time, Dr. Marshall is hoping that out of ashes of the recent general elections and the continuing unfolding of events, will come the re-emergence of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and what late Prime Minister Errol Barrow stood for.
Dr. Marshall made the comments while reacting to the recent political development where Bishop Atherley, who was one of the successful Barbados Labour Party (BLP) candidates in last week’s general elections, not only quit that party but is the new Opposition Leader in the House of Assembly. He was sworn into that position yesterday. The BLP won all 30 seats, ending ten years of DLP rule.
The SALISES official said that this development also provides Bishop Atherley with the opportunity to appoint two Senators to sit in the Upper House. The opening of the new Parliament is scheduled for next week.
Dr. Marshall told The Barbados Advocate yesterday that he is conscious of the fact that governments with large majorities tend to feature some form of dissent, which can lead to the creation of groups and clusters.
The SALISES official said that the move by Atherley appears fascinating and that the St. Michael West MP wants to enrich and to restore the provision of an alternative. Even though what Bishop Atherley has done has no party name, it represents a civic call to public duty to be a watchdog.
In fact, he said that Bishop Atherley seems to be a trailblazer in wanting to set a new path, which can however be very daunting.
“If he can appoint two persons of like mind, then we (in Barbados) can be in for an interesting exercise,” Dr. Marshall said.
“He (Atherley) could decide to do the usual things that opposition parties become engaged in, or he can choose to provide critical support to the government, something you do not get from traditional opposition parties. So I see this as interesting,” Dr. Marshall added.
The UWI official also indicated that this development will see the DLP further receding, since it is seeing the impact of its massive defeat during the elections.
He said that what has happened to the DLP is a not a tribute to the work of Barrow “and I am hoping that out of the ashes will come a re-emergence of what Barrow stood for”.
Atherley defeated the DLP’s Michael Carrington, who served as Speaker in the last Parliament, which was dissolved last March. The St. Michael West MP has dismissed suggestions that he left the BLP because he was overlooked for a Cabinet position.