Opinion
- Editorial- Commentary
Rickey
Singh :
Five
new Caricom govts in six elections
WITH
last Tuesday's crushing defeat of the Barbados Labour
Party administration, it is increasingly looking
as if the victory scored by the People's National
Movement in Trinidad and Tobago to retain power at the recent November 5 poll
might have been an aberration in a perceived political wind of change sweeping
away governments within the Caribbean Community.
As
Barbadians were heading for polling divisions a big
question being raised was whether their January
15 general election would result in a fourth change
of government among independent Caricom countries within
a 13-month period that started with the defeat of the
second term St Lucia Labour Party administration.
Well, the change did occur, ending with a vengeance,
the three-term administration of former Prime Minister
Owen Arthur who was seeking an unprecedented fourth
term.
In
a stunning reversal of political fortunes, the BLP
suffered a painful defeat by David
Thompson's Democratic Labour Party which was given
a strong 20-10 mandate to govern the country for the
next five years.
Thompson on Saturday night announced an 18-member
cabinet that includes three technocrats who would first
be appointed as senators later this week, to function
with him in the Prime Minister's office that will include
responsibilities for Finance, Economic Affairs and
Development, Labour, Civil Service and Energy.
The
ceremonial swearing in of the 20 successful
DLP candidates for the 30-member House of Assembly
as well as most of the appointed ministers was scheduled
as part of a celebratory event yesterday at the new
Kensington Oval, refurbished for the 2007 Cricket World
Cup
If
the victory of the opposition Virgin Islands Party
at last August 20 general election in the British Virgin
Islands is added to the change last Tuesday's outcome
in Barbados, it would mean that there have been
five changes in government at six national elections
within 13 months in Caricom of which the BVI
is an Associated State. The other changes took place
in The Bahamas and Jamaica.
In
Caricom where elections are due later this year,
do not expect either the government of Prime Minister
Said Musa in Belize nor that of Prime Minister Keith
Mitchell's in Grenada to agree. However, the indications
point to likely changes in government in both Caricom
states.Â
BELIZE: Earlier this month, Prime Minister Musa announced
fresh general election for next month, on February
7. At last 2003 general election his incumbent People's
United Party (PUP) won a second term with a very convincing
22-7 parliamentary majority.
Now
its challenger for power, Dean Barrow's United Democratic
Party (UDP) thinks the conditions exist
for it to be swept into power by
a perceived changed mood of the electorate. With the
addition of two new constituencies the battle by Musa's
PUP and Barrow's UDP will be for a 31-member elected
parliament.
GRENADA: In Grenada, where Prime Minister Mitchell
has been facing increasing demands from the opposition
National Democratic Congress (NDC) of Tillman Thomas
to call fresh election-constitutionally due in November
this year-an announcement of such a development could
well come when the governing New National Party (NNP)
holds its annual convention that's scheduled for January
27.
A crucial difference between Musa's quest for a third
term government and that of Mitchell's bid for a fourth
consecutive term is that the former had secured his
March 2003 electoral victory not just with a landslide
22-seat majority but 53 per cent of the valid popular
votes.
In
contrast, the latter had survived
defeat by a one-seat margin (8 to 7) and with less
than 50 per cent of the votes cast (48 per cent NNP
to the NDC's 45.06 per cent) for the 15-member
House of Representatives.
That one-seat majority came from Carriacou
by a mere six votes, had been unsuccessfully challenged
and Mitchell's NNP has been engaged since in strenuous
political manoeuvres to maintain adbility in governance
amid natural and man-made disasters.
Not
unexpectedly, Prime Minister Mitchell was quick to
declare, following the defeat of Arthur's
government in Barbados, that he did not envisage
any political wind of change having
a negative impact on his NNP administration.
There
are 15 days to go for the Belizean electorate's
verdict on which party will form the new government;
then follows later Grenada's 2008 general election.
- Bridgetown
Rickey
Singh is
a columnist an djournalist of Trinidad Express.
Petroleumworld does not necessarily share these views.
This
commentary was originally published by Trinidad Express,
on Monday,
January 21st 2008.
Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest
of our readers. Petroleumworld
does
not necessarily share these views.
All
comments posted and published on Petroleumworld,
do not reflect either for or against the opinion
expressed in the comment as an endorsement of Petroleumworld.
All comments expressed are private comments and do
not necessary reflect the view of this website. All
comments are posted and published without liability
to Petroleumworld.
Fair
use Notice: This site contains copyrighted material
the use of which has not always been specifically
authorized by the copyright owner. We are making
such material available in our efforts to advance
understanding of issues of environmental and humanitarian
significance. We believe this constitutes a 'fair
use' of any such copyrighted material as provided
for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. For more information
go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.
All
works published by Petroleumworld are in accordance
with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is
distributed without profit to those who have expressed
a prior interest in receiving the included information
for research and educational purposes. Petroleumworld
has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator
of this article nor is Petroleumworld endorsed or
sponsored by the originator.
Petroleumworld
encourages persons to reproduce, reprint, or broadcast
Petroleumworld articles provided that any such reproduction
identify the original source, http://www.petroleumworld.com
or else and it is done within the fair use as provided
for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you
wish to use copyrighted material from this site for
purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you
must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Internet
web links to http://www.petroleumworld.com are appreciated
Petroleumworld
welcomes your feedback and comments: editor@petroleumworld.com.
By using this link, you agree to allow E&P to
publish your comments on our letters page.
Petroleumworld
News 01/27/08
Copyright© 2008
Trinidad Express. All rights reserved.
