Dozens of residents of St George queued up at polling stations from as early as 5:30 this morning to cast their ballots for one of four candidates in a general election many see as pivotal.

The signs of a large turnout were there in St George North, where more than 50 people had gathered at Glebe Polyclinc for a prompt start at 6 a.m.

[caption id="attachment_238886" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Dozens of Barbadians were queued outside the Glebe Polyclinic before 6 a.m. to exercise their right to vote.[/caption]

Hoping to receive their votes were Gline Clarke of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Jepter Ince of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), Everton Holligan of the United Progressive Party (UPP)  and Grenville Phillips II of Solutions Barbados.

It was a diverse group that waited patiently to cast their ballots, including mature adults who preferred to vote before going to work, those who interrupted their early morning work-out sessions to ensure their votes would count, and a fair number of young people, including first-time voters, some of whom were accompanied by their parents.

Security officials at the polling stations said the process was smooth, while one voter told Barbados Today it had been steady but slow.

This was evidenced at the Valerie Resource Centre and St George Primary School where voters streamed in queue.

By the 8 a.m. the numbers had dwindled somewhat but there remained a moderate crowd of electors waiting to exercise their franchise.

BLP candidate for St Joseph Dale Marshall was among the hundreds gathered at the Valley Resource Centre. Marshall, who resides in St George North, expressed his hope that everyone entitled to vote would get to exercise this right.

However, he was worried that those who depend on public transportation might have difficulty getting to the polling stations on time this evening.

“I hope everything will go smoothly; I think Barbadians have long anticipated their hope to exercise their franchise and we have to trust the system. I just hope that persons will come out and vote and we won’t have any hiccups,” Marshall said.

“We are especially concerned about the transportation problem. We have a lot of people who are going to be relying on buses in the evening to go and vote . . . [and] we are a little concerned that there is going to be a large number of Barbadians stranded in bus stands,” he added.

Solutions Barbados leader Grenville Phillips II cast his vote this morning at Bethel Pentecostal Church in Drax Hall for his party’s candidate Andrew Banfield, the political leader revealed.

[caption id="attachment_238888" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Solutions Barbados leader Grenville Phillips II out to cast his vote this morning.[/caption]

Banfield is up against the DLP’s Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo, Dwight Sutherland of the BLP, the UPP’s Craig Harewood and Doris Barrow of the Barbados Integrity Movement.

Even at the very early stages of voting, Phillips confidently predicted his party would secure 20 seats to give the three-year-old political movement the reins of power.

“When they go in the voting booth and they choose our candidates Barbados will do well . . . .The others [political parties] are promising austerity, the others are promising that you suck salt, the others are offering bitter pills. We are promising none of that,” Phillips told the media.

Meantime, the BLP’s Sutherland, who held the seat in the last Parliament, was in high spirits at Ellerton, where his childhood home is located right next to the Ellerton Primary School polling station which caters to over 500 voters.

[caption id="attachment_238887" align="aligncenter" width="461"] Barbados Labour Party candidate for St George South greeting constituents at the Ellerton Primary School.[/caption]

The traffic at the school showed no signs of slowing down as constituents from St George South stood in lengthy lines eagerly waiting to mark their ‘X’. One constituent described the scene as “chaos”, as some waited for up to two hours to vote.    

Barbados TODAY also caught up with the UPP’s Harewood who was confident he could pull off an upset.

“I am positive of my chances of winning. Persons have shouted me . . . [and] I am getting a good response on the ground,” he said.

The post Long wait appeared first on Barbados Today.

by Marlon Madden

Light intermittent showers did not deter hundreds of voters from casting their votes in St Thomas this morning as the country chooses a new Government.

When Barbados TODAY arrived at The Lester Vaughan School, one of the main polling stations in the parish, more than 100 people had already gathered there, forming two lines, while a trickle of others were leaving the location.

Postmen and women and other professionals dressed for work were seen waiting to cast their ballots, as some voters complained that the process was too slow at that polling station.

[caption id="attachment_238892" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Long lines were the order of the day as voting started across the country.[/caption]

“I have been here for about half an hour. This is just too slow. It is madness,” one woman who was seventh in line said.

The registering officer for St Thomas said The Lester Vaughn School polling station was “congested” because of the limited number of voting areas.

“Seriously, it is congested and people have been waiting for a long time. It is this way because we only have two areas for voting and a lot of residents are registered to vote here,” she explained.

Over at the Sharon Primary School polling station the situation was slightly different with fewer people, mostly elderly, standing in line while a few others were seen entering and leaving amidst intermittent showers.

In addition to arriving in private vehicles, some constituents arrived at the various polling stations in hired vehicles or aboard ZR vans.

At Holy Innocents Primary School, also in St Thomas, just over two dozen people were standing in line, although the process there went smoothly.

“We had a good crowd this morning. It was a smooth process,” said one man who had voted earlier.

There were some light intermittent showers in the St James Central and St James North constituencies as well, but this did not prevent a moderate crowd from turning up at Gordon Greenidge Primary School in St James North.

However, as was the case in St Thomas, there were complaints about the length of time it took people to cast their ballots.

“It took me a hour to vote,” said one man who was about to leave just before 9 a.m.

“I saw the lines going from both directions from the road when I arrived and I was ready to go back home but I went in and voted. The overall process was smooth but it was slow,” he said.

There was a trickle of residents at the St Alban’s Primary School where a legally blind man, assisted by a woman, was about to cast his vote.

Only a handful of voters, most of them young people, were seen in queues at St James Parish Church, while the situation was similar in St James Central, where a handful of voters were seen at Frederick Smith Secondary School, Paynes Bay Methodist Church and Full Gospel Assembly.

When Barbados TODAY arrived at Good Shepherd Primary School at around 10:15 a.m. a number of young voters were seen leaving the location.

At the same time, a 92-year-old woman, who also cast her ballot at that polling station, said it was important for people to vote. Clearly in a wonderful mood,  she raised her hands and voice to the heavens and shouted, “thank the Lord”.

Earlier in the morning scores of anxious residents in St James South gathered well ahead of the 6 a.m. start time at West Terrace Primary School.

Men and women of varying degrees of ability turned up at that polling station, one of four in the constituency, to cast their votes in one of three boxes there.

Some were dressed in their morning workout gear, one woman in a wheelchair was assisted by family members, and others came with walking aides, all determined to mark that important X.

While it was generally a smooth process, some residents were unaware which of the three boxes they were to cast their votes.

The presiding officer for the constituency, Charles Philips, arrived at West Terrace at about 6:20 a.m., and he could not immediately say how many people were registered to vote in St James South.

Solutions Barbados candidate for St Michael South Paul Gibson, who cast his vote in St James South just after 6 a.m., described the process as seamless.

[caption id="attachment_238893" align="aligncenter" width="400"] St Michael South representative for Solutions Barbados Paul Gibson was one of the early voters in St James South.[/caption]

St James South was held in the last Parliament by Donville Inniss of the Democratic Labour Party, who is up against Sandra Husbands of the Barbados Labour Party, Christal Austin of the United Progressive Party, Jacqueline Alleyne Worrell of Solutions Barbados and independent candidate Nicole Howell.

A stone’s throw away at Western Light Church of the Nazarene, scores of anxious residents also filed into the polling station to cast their votes.

Over at the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology the process was also smooth, while at Queens College, residents said they were pleased with the process, which they said was smooth.

marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb

The post ‘Too slow’ appeared first on Barbados Today.

by Anmar Goodridge-Boyce

Residents in the north of the island, St Peter and St Lucy in particular, wasted no time in exercising their franchise today.

There were long lines at several centres across the two parishes, signalling a steady flow even before the scheduled 6a.m. opening of polling stations.

They came in their numbers, young and old. Some walked, while others arrived by car.

The moment the doors opened and the green light was given by the returning officer at The Alexandra School in St Peter, voters flowed freely to cast their ballots for one of the three candidates in the race – Colin Jordan of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Dave Cumberbatch of the Democratic Labour Party  (DLP) and Apostle Lynroy Scantlebury of Barbados Intergrity Movement (BIM).

Among the early voters was former DLP candidate for St James North Austin Husbands, who made it clear he liked being “one of the first persons at the polling station and it is absolutely important that I exercise my franchise”.

Although he did not name the candidate who would receive his support, Husbands left little doubt who it would be.

“You would obviously know who I am supporting,” he told Barbados TODAY.

Despite the early morning rush, Husbands said he was pleased with the voting process, which he described as “extremely fast”.

“The polling station opened on time, which is an important thing. Quite often you have a long wait because they are not working as quickly as they should, but they have done a good job and it is very efficient.”

The former candidate stayed behind the scenes this election campaign, explaining that it was the first general election in his political career that he had not attended the rallies, mainly because he did not like the direction the campaign had taken.

“I worked behind the scenes but I didn’t go to meetings. I didn’t like the way the campaign was going and some of the things that I saw happening on Facebook. There was an aggression that was coming from supporters of the parties involved and I did not like that,” he said.

First-timer voter Bikoh Dowrich also would not state expressly who would get his vote.

However, he said enough to give more than a hint.

“It is my right to vote so I decided to use it today. Going to UWI [University of the West Indies] brought things into place for me. You have to make the best decision and especially for single parents, tuitions fees are hard and are stopping poor people from going to UWI,” he said.

Just after 10 a.m. the quiet at All Saints Primary School erupted into a sea of excitement as a smiling and confident BLP candidate Colin Jordan and his wife Charmaine arrived to cast their votes.

Jordan, who pleasantly acknowledged family members whom he hoped would cast their ballots in his favour, told Barbados TODAY he was optimistic based on the voter turnout.

“I am feeling pretty good. I have been to a number of the polling stations in St Peter and the turnout has been heavy and the faces of the constituents in the lines were pretty happy when they saw me, and I think they are with me and today are making a statement.”

The BLP’s hold on St Peter preceded single-member representation, with the party having at least one representative there going back to 1951.

Since 1984, it was held by Owen Arthur, who was Prime Minister between 1994 and 2008, and continued to be the representative until this year, even though he quit the party in 2014.

However, he had long anounced plans to retire from active politics at the end of the last Parliament and had endorsed Jordan as his successor.

“Strangely enough I don’t feel pressure. The transition has been pretty seamless. I have been prepared for this moment and I want to thank Mr Arthur for that and the team that supported me,” Jordan said today.

Within the seven polling stations visited by Barbados TODAY there was a modest crowd at Half Moon Fort Primary School in St Lucy where voters swiftly entered and exited the polling booth, seemingly anxious to cast the all important ballot.

Over at the Salvation Army Church in Checker Hall there was a struggle to enter the small compound, as at least 70 people stood in line.

One official of the Electoral and Boundaries Comission revealed that the lines were long from as early as 5:30 a.m.

In St Lucy it’s a five man race among Denis Kellman of the DLP, the BLP’s Peter Phillips, Solutions Barbados’ John Carter, BIM’s Richard Roach and Wayne Griffith of the United Progressive Party.

Steady voting was also reported in St Andrew and St Joseph today where electors were casting their ballots with little or no fuss.
(AGB)

The post Steady going appeared first on Barbados Today.

“I want everybody to stay calm. We got this one. We're doing well!”

That was the key message Barbados Labour Party (BLP) leader and St Michael North East incumbent Mia Mottley said she wanted to convey to all Barbadians on Election Day after she cast her ballot at the St Michael North polling station at Eden Lodge Primary School this afternoon.

[caption id="attachment_238903" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Her disability did not mean her inability to turn out to vote at Eden Lodge Primary in St Michael North
this morning.[/caption]

Mottley, who appeared to be brimming with confidence, told reporters she was impressed with the turnout of voters this morning, describing it as nothing short of phenomenal.

[caption id="attachment_238902" align="aligncenter" width="600"] People turned out in their numbers at Christ the King Church in St Michael North to cast their votes.[/caption]

“Voting in our country is not mandatory. So always for the whole run up, you got to be able to persuade people and explain to people . . . and not everybody is interested [with] the same interest. But what we saw this morning, was nothing short of phenomenal in terms of the intensity of the numbers of people wanting to come out. It is as if they couldn't wait to vote,” she said with a smile and shrug of her shoulders.

The BLP leader however was still adopting a wait-and-see approach as far as the final result was concerned.

“We now have to see how the rest of the day pans out and whether we would end up with a higher than normal turnout or what we may end up with is an average or just below average turnout, but with a high intensity for those who want to vote and who feel that they voted for Barbados and its future. And if that happens, then I think we are in good shape,” Mottley stressed, while stating that the BLP was the party with the best plans and the best team to lead the country for the next five years.

She suggested that this morning’s turnout was in the order of 45 per cent of the electorate, with another voting spurt expected between 3.30 p.m. and the close of polls at
6 p.m.

At the same time Mottley took issue with the country’s voters’ list saying, “I have maintained that Barbados needs an enumeration”. She pointed out that the effective turnout for the last three to four elections was higher than the expected turnout, based on the official list.

However, the St Michael North incumbent thanked Barbadians for heeding her party's call to come out early in their numbers.

“I think we are satisfied they have done that. There has been a lot of passion on the part of people for their country. People feel this is a significant . . . in fact, in many instances, the most significant election since Independence and that this election would determine the direction of our country . . . whether there is a new dawn or whether we continue upon a path where institutions continue to do poorly and the economy continues to contract,” she said while referring to the last ten years as a lost decade for the country.

Today’s polling process was marred by reports of voters being turned away in the St Michael North constituency because their names were either not on the register or they did not have their identification cards.

However, while admitting that there had been some hiccups, Mottley gave the assurance that they were being managed in an orderly manner.

“Barbados has a tradition of being orderly and we want to maintain that as far as possible. Those names that have been dropped off the list, we are trying to see what we can get back on the list by the proper process . . . through the courts and through interaction with the Electoral and Boundaries Commission,” she said.

As for her own electoral fortunes, Mottley, who has held the St Michael North East seat for the past five terms since 1994, admitted that this would be the first election in which she did not spend as much time in her own constituency as she ought to.

“I reckon I will pay the price for that. But in paying the price for that, once I can bring along the Government and the country I will feel good,” Mottley said, adding that she has had little sleep in the past few days and did not expect much in the coming days either.

In addition to the incumbent Democratic Labour Party, there are five other political parties in today’s race.

However, Mottley sees it as a straight fight with the DLP which commanded 16 seats in the last Parliament compared to her BLP’s 14.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

The post ‘We got this one’ appeared first on Barbados Today.

Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson stepped in this afternoon and issued a court order after a group of about 20 Commonwealth citizens were turned away  from voting in the St James South constituency.

Based on Sir Marston's order, members of the group, who were represented by Sir Elliott Mottley, QC, were eventually allowed to cast their ballots around 8 p.m., which is two hours after the official closure of the polls.

In immediate reaction, St James South incumbent Donville Inniss and his main rival, Sandra Husbands of the Barbados Labour Party, welcomed the judgment, with Inniss also describing the development as a bit embarrassing.

This is in light of two recent court rulings that went against the Electoral and Boundaries Commission on the matter of participation of Commonwealth citizens in the May 24 poll.

St Lucian professor Eddie Ventose had brought the initial challenge over his non inclusion on the voters' list. This challenge went all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice, which is the island's final court of appeal, before it was resolved.

And just last week, another 13 Commonwealth citizens were given the all clear by the court to vote here.

The post High Court order affects polling in St James South appeared first on Barbados Today.

A Transport Board bus arrived at the counting centre at Graydon Sealy Secondary School at 8:18 p.m.

Officials of the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) transported 16 boxes containing ballots cast by St Michael South voters, into the centre.

The post Ballot boxes arrive at Graydon Sealy Secondary School appeared first on Barbados Today.

It’s a waiting game in the constituencies of St George South and North as the tally of votes has begun.

The last of the 20 ballot boxes from the St George South polling stations arrived at the Ellerton Primary School around 10 p.m.

After closing the doors to the room where the ballots were being tallied, returning officer Trevor King declared around 10:30 p.m. that the counting would begin.

The seat is being contested by the incumbent representative Dwight Sutherland of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), Craig Harewood of the United Progressive Party (UPP) and Doris Barrow of Barbados Integrity Movement.

Counting commenced after 10 p.m. over at the St George North Valley Resource Centre.

The candidates vying for the St George North Seat include the BLP’s Gline Clarke who is the incumbent, Jepter Ince of the DLP, Everton Holligan of the UPP  and Grenville Phillips II of Solutions Barbados.

The post Counting begins in St George constituencies appeared first on Barbados Today.

The wait for the ballot box from the May 17 special polling held up the start of counting of votes in the St Andrew constituency tonight.

By about 9 p.m., the 19 boxes from today’s voting had arrived at The Alleyne School. But the ballot box containing the votes of police officers and Election Day workers, which had been cast a week earlier, had not yet been delivered.

Those who had gathered for the count stood around eagerly awaiting the arrival of the outstanding box so the final leg of the general elections could begin.

Around 10:35 p.m., as the wait continued, returning officer Nolan Hall emerged and briefly spoke to the media, explaining the normal procedures and clarifying any misconceptions about the reasons for the delays.

Hall also confirmed that police escorting the ballot box had departed from The Deighton Griffith Secondary School and the vehicle would make several stops on its journey to St Andrew.

It was not until 11:10 p.m. that the special poll box arrived at the counting station.

The post Delayed ballot box arrival holds up counting in St Andrew appeared first on Barbados Today.

[caption id="attachment_236860" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Chief Electoral Officer Angela Taylor[/caption]

The Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has sought to explain the reasons for the delays in delivering ballot boxes and counting ballots following voting in general elections yesterday.

In a statement issued after 1 a.m. as counting was still underway in all 30 constituencies, it said a late court order requiring Chief Electoral Officer Angela Taylor to add 18 people to the voters’ list, and the need to redirect vehicles and drivers as a result of the order were to blame.

Below is the EBC’s full statement:

The Chief Electoral Officer was mandated by a court order late on the afternoon of Thursday, May 24, to add 18 persons to the Register of Electors.

Preparing the Addendum to facilitate this process and distributing the registers to various polling stations in several constituencies resulted in a delay in the close of poll in these constituencies.

The vehicles and drivers recruited for the delivery of the Ballot Boxes containing ballots from the early poll of Thursday, May 17, had to be redirected to deliver the Addendum, resulting in an even further delay in the delivery of those boxes.

The Electoral and Boundaries Commission wishes to assure the public that all necessary procedures were followed to protect the integrity of the poll.

Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

The post Electoral and Boundaries Commission explains counting delays appeared first on Barbados Today.

Mia Mottley won her St Michael North East in a landslide on the way to victory for her Barbados Labour Party (BLP).

Winning 4,553 votes, she dismissed her Democratic Labour Party (DLP) challenger Patrick Todd who got 500 votes, 23-year-old first-timer Kemar Stuart of Solutions Barbados who earned just 133, and Barbados Free Party’s Enlou Frere who managed just 37 votes.

Although counting in other constituencies still continued as she was declared the duly elected representative for St Michael North East by returning officer Gwendolyn Bridgeman-Bushell just before 3 a.m., results coming in pointed to victory for the BLP.

The post Mottley easily wins seat appeared first on Barbados Today.

[caption id="attachment_239071" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Barbados Labour Party supporters listen to the victory speech delivered by political leader and prime minister-designate Mia Mottley at party headquarters.[/caption]

The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) will form the next government, led by its first female prime minister, and based on unofficial results, it will do so without any official opposition.

Counting continued into the early hours of this morning, but Democratic Labour Party (DLP) leader Freundel Stuart conceded defeat and the BLP's Roebuck Street headquarters erupted in celebration as prime minister-designate Mia Mottley, the island’s first female leader, delivered her victory speech just before 4 a.m.

While the 52-year-old Mottley acknowledged there would be celebration, she said it was not a time to gloat but to unite the country to take it forward, and she reiterated her commitment to keeping the BLP’s campaign promises.

Pointing out that today was pay day, she told jubilant supporters that she wanted to give Barbadians a "thanksgiving celebration" this weekend.

She announced that all schools would be closed today, and that with the exception of supermarkets and banks, she had advised businesses to close at 1 p.m.

Mottley said a Cabinet will be appointed by Monday.

The post BLP takes landslide election victory appeared first on Barbados Today.

[caption id="attachment_236444" align="aligncenter" width="650"] BLP candidate for Christ Church West Central Adrian ‘Medic’ Forde (centre) with supporters on Nomination Day.[/caption]

Newly elected Member of Parliament for Christ Church West Central, Adrian ‘Medic’ Forde says his landslide victory over Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate and former Minister of Culture Stephen Lashley will forever be a reminder to him never to take his constituents for granted.

Forde, a first-time candidate from the Barbados Labour Party (BLP), won every box in his constituency, amassing 3,891 votes to unseat the incumbent who got just 1,131 votes, five years after comfortably winning the seat by 827 votes.

Speaking to reporters at the Deighton Griffith School in the wee hours of this morning after presiding officer Morris Jones declared him the winner, a jubilant Forde said his opponent’s anguish was a reminder of what awaited him should he fail to live up to his promises as a representative.

“I have been given a serious mandate from the people and I cannot now back away from the promises that I made. It is not going to be easy but we have to put our hands to the plough and recognize that the lives of the people matter most,” he said.

“So I am saying to the people of Christ Church West Central that I would move with every sinew of my being to ensure that they get the level of representation that has been sadly lacking for the last 10 years.”

Forde vowed to represent his constituency without apology, even when it may not suit the agenda of his party.

“I will bring this constituency to a level of self-sufficiency that has never been seen before in Barbados, and I will do it whether or not my colleagues are vex or pleased,” he declared.

[caption id="attachment_236721" align="alignleft" width="140"] Ryan Straughn[/caption]

There were equally joyful scenes at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium where another BLP first-time candidate, Ryan Straughn, was declared the duly elected representative for Christ Church East

He unseated three-time MP Ronald Jones by 2,728 votes. While he expressed gratitude to constituents for the confidence reposed in him, Straughn made it clear that it was time to get down to the business of representation and fixing the country.

There was no sign of either of the defeated candidates at the counting stations when the final tally was announced, and attempts to contact Jones and Lashley were unsuccessful. (CM)

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Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur has congratulated the Mia Mottley-led Barbados Labour Party (BLP) on its overwhelming victory at the polls on Thursday.

In a brief statement to Barbados TODAY, Arthur, who quit the BLP back in 2014 after leading it for 14 years, said: "I offer the Barbados Labour Party congratulations and I wish them and the country good luck and good fortune".

The BLP took all 30 seats at stake in the May 24 general election in which the Freundel Stuart administration was swept from power.

The post Arthur congratulates Mottley appeared first on Barbados Today.

Less than 24 hours after she led her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to victory in the May 24 general election, Mia Amor Mottley, 52, was sworn in as Barbados' eighth prime minister on Friday, joining a handful of Caribbean women who have led governments in their respective countries.

Mottley, who first entered local politics in 1991, when she lost the St Michael North East constituency to Leroy Brathwaite, took the oath of office before Governor General Sandra Mason and in the presence of family, friends and party supporters.

[caption id="attachment_239115" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Governor General Dame Sandra Mason and newly appointed Prime Minister Mia Mottley.[/caption]

Attorney and Member of Parliament for St Joseph Dale Marshall also took the oath of office as Attorney General.

[caption id="attachment_239114" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Governor General Dame Sandra Mason and newly appointed Attorney General Dale Marshall.[/caption]

Mottley, who between 1994 and 2008, held a succession of ministerial portfolios, led the BLP to a whitewash of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), winning all 30 seats in the Parliament.

Mottley was the first female to be appointed Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs in 2001 and is also the youngest ever Queen's Counsel in Barbados.

Two years later, she served as the island's second female Deputy Prime Minister and following the BLP's defeat in the 2008 election and Owen Arthur's resignation as party leader, Mottley was chosen as BLP party leader on January, 19, 2008.

She also served as the first female opposition leader when she was sworn in on February, 7, 2008.

Mottley joins the late Dame Eugenia Charles of Dominica, Janet Jagan of Guyana, Jamaica's Portia Simpson Miller and Kamla Persad Bissessar as women who have led governments in their respective countries.

Following her party's resounding victory, Mottley said she wanted to thank Barbadians for doing “what is best for Barbados”.

She is expected to name her Cabinet over the weekend.

The post Mia Mottley is sworn in as new Prime Minister appeared first on Barbados Today.

The Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) today congratulated Prime Minister Mia Mottley and signalled its intention to partner with the new Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration to address the ailing economy.

In a statement issued the morning, BPSA President Charles Herbert said his association was looking forward to “vastly improved consultation with the Social Partnership; urgency in addressing the country’s economic issues; and leadership which inspires every citizen to play an immediate and personal role in our national recovery".

In acknowledging the landslide victory that ushered into office the island’s first female Prime Minister, Herbert said "the population of Barbados has spoken more decisively than ever before".

He however noted that the country was “in uncharted territory with no elected Opposition in Parliament” and called on the island’s constitutional experts to advise quickly and wisely on how the traditional checks and balances could be maintained and improved.

The BPSA assured the new Government of its commitment, saying it would remain “apolitical and constructive” as it works with the Social Partnership to make Barbados better.

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Democratic Labour Party (DLP)  St James Central candidate George Connolly has congratulated the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) on its "emphatic" general election win.

The Mia Mottley-led BLP claimed all 30 seats at stake in Thursday's general election confining the incumbent DLP to the proverbial political wilderness.

However, a magnanimous Connolly, who was soundly defeated by the BLP's Kerrie Symmonds in his first outing, acknowledged today that "this [BLP win] is historic on so many levels", adding that the task now for "myself and my peers [is] to continue our work to build better communities as we move every individual in the country forward.

"Despite not being the official Opposition, it is our intention to ensure the incoming administration is held up to scrutiny," Connolly said.

Earlier, in conceding defeat on behalf of the DLP, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, 66,  accepted “full responsibility” for the loss, while signalling his pending exit from electoral politics in Barbados.

“Let me unhesitatingly and unequivocally and frankly accept full responsibility for the defeat of the Democratic Labour Party in the election and let me assure all the party members that we govern in very challenging circumstances no previous Government in Barbados has had to govern in circumstances quite like the circumstances that we have had to govern,” Stuart said.

Stuart, who entered elective politics in 1994, said that Thursday’s general election would have been his last regardless of the results. However, he said he would assist the DLP as it moves to name a replacement for him.

Speaking at the party’s George Street, St Michael headquarters, Stuart said that his administration had to govern in a very challenging environment in the 21^st century , adding “we did the best we could according to our likeness and according to our judgement over the very difficult and challenging decade in which we had to administer the affairs of Barbados”.

He acknowledged that the Government had to take some “tough and sometimes unpalatable decisions", but said he remained confident that “in the fullness of time the wisdom of our actions be vindicated.

“As far as the Democratic Labour Party is concerned, I think we have to when the dust has settled reflect on what has happened, try to determine why it has happened and take what corrective steps we deem necessary to ensure we start that process of necessary rebuilding and I am confident we have the human resources in this party to do it,” Stuart added.

Hundreds of BLP supporters took to the streets during the early hours of Friday to celebrate the victory with Mottley, who was sworn in earlier today as the country's eighth prime minister and first female head of Government, urging the private sector to close their businesses today at 1p.m.

The post BLP win historic on many levels – Connolly appeared first on Barbados Today.

Barbadians dumped their frustration of the Freundel Stuart administration into the ballot box and elected the first ever woman to head a government in the country in an historic victory following Thursday’s general election.

The preliminary results show that the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won all 30 seats in the Parliament and BLP leader Mia Mottley said that she wanted to thank Barbadians for doing “what is best for Barbados”.

[caption id="attachment_238905" align="alignnone" width="650"]

The 52-year-old leader thanked outgoing Prime Minister Stuart “for his service to Barbados” but reminded the nation that “the people have spoken.

“The victory is not mine, not the Barbados Labour Party, this victory is the people of Barbados victory”.

She said that she wanted the victory to be recognised also as “a people’s campaign” and welcomed the new legislators who had embarked on “this special journey.

“Leading this team has been the privilege of my life, it is now for us to move forward because the electioneering has stopped,” she said, adding that she wanted to thank all those who had offered themselves . . . . I urge them to continue in the spirit of service and…in building this country,” she said, adding that she would begin the task of rebuilding the country “immediately.

“There can be no time for gloating . . . moaning. We are one people, we are Barbadians and this should come as no surprise to you because . . . there is a time for healing because if we are to move forward and face the challenges before us we have to be prepared to heal and allow many hands to make light work.

“As for the mandate you have given us . . . each of us will have a role to play,” she said, adding “we have no time but to get to the task”.

The election was fought against the backdrop of a worsening economic situation in Barbados and Mottley said that in order to move forward her administration will release the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on Friday so that Barbadians will know what is expected going forward.

“We have also committed to releasing the noose of taxes around our necks . . . if this economy is to grow again, then… that will be business number one for us.

“My friend, the task before us will not be easy. There is no elixir, there is no magical remedy, there is no single shock solution, but if we do not move with alacrity we will not succeed and what we have promised you is to stop the bleeding, but at the same time lay the platform for the transformation of our nation.

“As it relates to the mandate you have given us, I am deeply conscious that in the absence of an official opposition in the House of Assembly we will have to evolve institutional arrangements to be able to allow Barbadians to have a greater say in the governance of this country,” she told the nation.

Mottley said that the Cabinet, which will be appointed by Monday, reminded the country that all ideas must contend.

She said even before the Government has a right to take a decision “all ideas must contend and we have already committed in our manifesto to putting in place a framework for people’s initiatives that come from you and are not started with us.

“We have committed to referenda because we believe there are certain fundamental issues that we must consult with you on. Some will be binding and some will be advisory”.

But she pledged: “there will be no gloating, that there is no way there will be a mistrust of the absolute mandate that you have given us, the people of the Barbados Labour Party”.
She pledged also that her administration “would be your stewards at all times.

“Let us move forward recognising that this truly is a defining moment in our history. Not for what people will immediately assume about me being a woman, but more so it is about people claiming their future and the people of Barbados . . . have claimed their future with a new interactive mode of governance,” she added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, 66, accepted “full responsibility” for the defeat of his Democratic Labour Party in the general election announcing also his move away from electoral politics in Barbados.

“Let me unhesitatingly and unequivocally and frankly accept full responsibility for the defeat of the Democratic Labour Party in the election and let me assure all the party members that we govern in very challenging circumstances no previous Government in Barbados has had to govern in circumstances quite like the circumstances that we have had to govern,” Stuart said in a concession speech.

Stuart, who entered elective politics in 1994, said that Thursday’s general election would have been his last regardless of the results and that he would assist the party as it moves to name a replacement for him.

“We did the best we could according to our likeness and according to our judgement over the very difficult and challenging decade in which we had to administer the affairs of Barbados,” he said.

He acknowledged that the Government had to take some “tough and sometimes unpalatable decisions “but he remained confident that “in the fullness of time the wisdom of our actions be vindicated.

“As far as the Democratic Labour Party is concerned, I think we have to when the dust has settled reflect on what has happened, try to determine why it has happened and take what corrective steps we deem necessary to ensure we start that process of necessary rebuilding and I am confident we have the human resources in this party to do it,” Stuart added.

Hundreds of BLP supporters took to the streets during the early hours of Friday to celebrate the victory and Mottley said that she had urged the private sector to close down their businesses at midday.(CMC)

CMC

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The historic decision by voters to hand the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) an unprecedented landslide will in time be known as the Mottley Revolution, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Sir Hilary Beckles has said.

In a congratulatory message to new Prime Minister Mia Mottley, he said the electoral victory reaffirmed that the Barbadian people are “tolerant, patient, flexible, accommodating and generous, but when these attributes are persistently taken for granted, they rise up and move swiftly and decisively in the direction of justice”.

“This latest demonstration of the national characteristic will in time be known as the Mottley Revolution,” he added.

Mottley, who was repeatedly targeted by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) during the election campaign, received praise from Sir Hilary for her “battle worthy resistance”.

He said that he was anxious to resume working with the new leader, “particularly on serving the educational advancement of the poor and marginalized.”

During the election campaign, Mottley pledged that a BLP administration would reintroduce free university education at the UWI, as well as clear all Government arrears, including an estimated $200 million owed to the university.

Sir Hilary added that Barbadians had good reason to be proud of the peoples’ choice and he urged citizens to embrace the new government.

“It is now the duty of all to accelerate the rebuilding of the nation under her leadership on the basis of the shared vision and common cause she so eloquently and persuasively articulated in the electoral discourse,” he said.

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Message from The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) on the election of a new government

The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) congratulates the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) on its historic victory in the 2018 General Elections; which it secured under the leadership of the Hon. Mia Mottley, Q.C.

The Congress warmly congratulates and welcomes the Hon. Mia Mottley to office, as the eighth Prime Minister of Barbados.

She is to be congratulated on the achievement of becoming the first female Prime Minister of Barbados, and moreover as the first woman to be elected as head of government in the history of a colonial and independent Barbados.

The Congress extends its congratulations to all members of the BLP who were elected to office as members of Parliament. The resounding victory of winning all 30 of the seats contested is an expression of the will and the confidence which the people have reposed in the newly elected government.

As the government assumes office, the Congress commits to working with the new administration under the umbrella of the Social Partnership, in forging an agenda which is directed at the recovery, development and growth of the economy, and safeguarding the interest and welfare of Barbados and its workforce.

Commiserations are in order for the outgoing Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart and the members of the Democratic Labour Party who contested the polls.

CTUSAB takes this opportunity to commend the people of Barbados on their exemplary pre and post-election conduct. This sends a message to the world that Barbados prides itself on exhibiting decorum, order and respect for the democratic process and the rule of law.

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Hours after the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) made a clean sweep of all 30 seats in Parliament, newly sworn-in Prime Minister Mia Mottley promised an inquiry into the functioning of the embattled Electoral and Boundaries Commission (EBC).

Speaking to reporters this morning at Government House, minutes after she and Attorney General Dale Marshall took the oath of office before Governor General Dame Sandra Mason, the island's first female Prime Minister pledged to take action after a thorough investigation was conducted into concerns related to the voters' list and the inordinately long delays in getting ballot boxes to counting centres last night.

[caption id="attachment_239165" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Prime Minister Mia Mottley speaks to the media after her swearing in ceremony at Government House.[/caption]

"I think that all Barbadians are concerned that what happened last night was unacceptable and it did not present well to the public. I am not going to make any judgment or pass any judgment. The truth is that it may well be as much an issue of transportation of ballot boxes and the absence of available buses...but there were also serious issues as it related to the veracity of the list...Was it a computer glitch, are there systems involved. I don't know," Mottley said, adding that she would seek the appropriate reports.

"You can rest assured that once those reports come, we will take action. Barbados must be known for institutions that work. Our competitive advantage as a country was having a superior public service that literally put us above other countries and allowed us to shine. We have to bring back the functioning of our public service to that level; we have to strengthen the functioning of our institutions; and we have to give opportunity to our people where necessary.”

Mottley, who was flanked by her new Attorney General and BLP general secretary Dr Jerome Walcott, was adamant that Barbados could not have an analog Government in a digital world.

[caption id="attachment_239164" align="aligncenter" width="650"] From left, General Secretary of the BLP Jerome Walcott, Attorney General Dale Marshall, Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Barbados Labour Party Chairman George Payne.[/caption]

The EBC released the final list of voters on the eve of yesterday's general election, when it was required to do so at least three days before.

In the days leading up to the election, the Commission was also ordered by the High Court here and the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to register all Commonwealth citizens who were eligible to vote here. However, while some had been allowed to do so, 20 of them had to make an urgent application to the High Court on polling day because their names were not on the register in St Michael South when they went to cast their ballots.

Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson ruled on the matter in the afternoon, clearing the way for the petitioners to vote. They finally exercised their franchise about two hours after the official close of polling stations.

Earlier this month, the EBC had stoutly defended the integrity of the electoral process and openly dismissed allegations of discrepancies on the preliminary voters’ list of just over 256,990 people, after investigations by Barbados TODAY revealed over 500 irregularities, the majority of which affected four constituencies in St Michael.

These were St Michael South, which had been held by former Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, Mottley’s St Michael North East constituency, St Michael West Central in which the Democratic Labour Party’s (DLP’s) James Paul was the incumbent, and the City of Bridgetown where the BLP’s Jeffrey Bostic was seeking his second straight term.

Errors were also identified in 27 of the 30 constituencies across the island.

In all 592 cases found, voters had the same address and the same house number but ended up in different constituencies.

Mottley, whose swearing-in ceremony was witnessed this morning by her father Elliott Mottley,QC, mother Amor Mottley, brother Stuart Mottley and her sister who is visiting from Australia, eLana Amor Mottley Harris, also told reporters she will be meeting with the leadership of the Social Partners on Monday morning so they can set the framework for the country going forward.

[caption id="attachment_239171" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Governor General Dame Sandra Mason and Prime Minister Mia Mottley as she takes the oath of office.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_239173" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Prime Minister Mottley greets her family. (Left) Father Elliot Mottley, Amor Mottley, mother and sister eLana Amor Mottley Harris.[/caption]

"In the campaign I indicated that – and this is without knowing what the mandate would have been – that I would want to meet twice a month, particularly during this period of getting these mission-critical issues right with the leadership of the Social Partnership," she stated, adding that above all else Barbados needed consensus to move forward and to talk through the difficult decisions together.

Without identifying them, Prime Minister Mottley also gave notice that her administration would review a number of contracts because of the contingent liabilities to which the Government has been exposed and to have clarity as to where the country stands.

"I hope to be able to put in place a financial discovery team so that we can get a clear picture as to the true state of the Government's finances so that we can make decisions. We cannot fly blindly," she noted, adding that she would also make public the report from the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) review of the economy so people can know the true state of the economy.

Mottley refused to be drawn into listing the pending construction of the controversial Hyatt Centric Resort, a matter still entangled in legal litigation, as one of the contracts to be reviewed.

She also said the full Cabinet will be announced shortly, but declined to specify its size, noting that quality was more important.

[caption id="attachment_239166" align="aligncenter" width="650"] BLP General Secretary Jerome Walcott, Prime Minister Mottley and Attorney General Dale Marshall.[/caption]

On the question of when the first opening of the new Parliament would be held, Mottley said she was looking to have the session convened in another two weeks to discuss urgent business of state.

"We are cognizant that we lost four to six weeks in the campaigning as a nation and that the serious work of Government has therefore not been ever-present over the last four to six weeks. The campaign is over and we need to get back to work," she said.

The Prime Minister noted that her administration was now faced with 20 mission-critical matters to fix in order to stabilize the economy, failing which Barbados would experience serious consequences.

Mottley said integrity legislation would be laid in Parliament on the first working day of the legislature and pledged to introduce the Freedom of Information Bill shortly after.

She also promised regular communication with the people of Barbados, in addition to frequent media conferences and the hiring of a press secretary for the Prime Minister's Office and one for Cabinet.

Mottley made it clear that Barbados would not be pulling out of the appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice, as Stuart had threatened to do if his party was returned to power.

She recommitted this country to regional integration.

Mottley also recognized the need for the Government to honour another payment of a loan this month, as well as to address existing difficulties within the National Drug Service. (EJ)

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