Outspoken former Member of Parliament Hamilton Lashley is calling on past challenger for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) presidency, Reverend Guy Hewitt, to try again for the leadership role.
Lashley said that as the DLP recuperates from losing yet another election 30-0 to the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) he believes Reverend Hewitt is the ideal candidate to help the party get back on its feet.
The member of the DLP told Barbados TODAY that while some may not be in agreement with his call, it would be a good move for Hewitt to return to contest the presidency once again if he is in a position to do so.
“He has to come back and put his hat in the ring for the leadership position during the election which should be in another three months or so. That is not far from now, we are talking about another 14 weeks. He should come forward and be a part of the process,” Lashley said.
Last August, former DLP President Verla DePeiza who resigned after the party’s recent election defeat at the polls, retained the leadership of the party with 507 votes to Hewitt’s 295.
Just days following the defeat, in a statement released to Barbados TODAY, Hewitt said he could not speak definitively about his political plans at that time. The Anglican priest had also said that while he will continue to walk by faith and not by sight, he remains committed to the nation and the DLP.
“Those who really listened to Hewitt’s views on taking the party forward and what he had to say leading up to the last internal DLP elections could see that Hewitt is the perfect candidate at this time to be elected to the post as President of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). There is a lot of work to be done within the party,” Lashley said.
The former Parliamentarian also suggested that it is time the general membership of the DLP acknowledge that Barbados has entered a new political era which requires that the party’s style of leadership and operations transition with the changing political dimensions.
“They have to also recognize that this was the lowest turnout ever in the history of Barbadian politics. This General Election the turnout was 45 percent, prior to that it was 65 percent. Those numbers speak volumes to the fact of what I consider to be voters’ apathy. And most of those persons who did not vote were Democratic Labour Party members.
“You could easily assume that they stayed home and they did not vote. Were they dissatisfied with the leadership? Were the voters dissatisfied with the candidates? This is something that should be a part of the party’s introspection. A critical analysis must be made of this situation at this time and that process should begin as soon as possible,” he said.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb
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