THE DIE appears cast on Mia Mottley’s leadership of the Barbados Labour Party [BLP].
This despite the fact that the five BLP parliamentarians behind the move to oust her, have scheduled a meeting for Grantley Adams House, Roebuck Street, St Michael tomorrow at 10 a.m. to review her stewardship.
It is not yet known if Mottley will attend that meeting, having declined to participate in the one called last Tuesday by secretary of the parliamentary group, Gline Clarke.
Sources yesterday suggested that the five – George Payne, Owen Arthur, Dale Marshall, Ronald Toppin and Clarke – had already taken preparatory steps to go to Governor General Sir Clifford Husbands to have Mottley’s appointment revoked following tomorrow’s meeting.
Yesterday, speaking to members of the Barbados Youth Development Council at the Ministry of Education’s conference room, Mottley, 45, raised eyebrows when she said the address could be her last in public office.
Mottley later told the SUNDAY SUN the statement should not be mis-interpreted as her stepping down as an MP.
The St Michael North East MP explained that she had moved from a Minister of Government to Leader of the Opposition [both public offices] and depending on what occurred tomorrow, the address could be her last in public office.
During her address, Mottley reminisced about her early life and gave advice to the youth.
She said Barbados was at a stage of development that required the participation and involvement of every Barbadian irrespective of age, gender, class, race and political association.
“I went to school on this spot. I spent many years on this spot. Sixteen years ago, I took up the office [of Minister of Education]. . . I was in Parliament longer, I was in Parliament from 1991.
“Sixteen years ago, when I became Minister of Education, my first official task was to address the Barbados Environmental Youth Programme at the University of the West Indies and they gave me a gift that I have to this day – a cup with my name on it under the simple slogan: ‘This generation would change the world’.
“They did not know then what that gift meant to me and the extent to which it inspired me in easy and in difficult times. It is ironic, or divine providence ,that it may well be that my last address as a person in public office 16 years later is to the Barbados Youth Development Council,” she said.
Yesterday, when asked specifically about the problem with Mottley’s leadership, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Dale Marshall said he had no comment.
Last Thursday, BLP chairman George Payne told the media the majority of the BLP’s elected members were opposed to Mottley continuing at the helm and favoured Arthur, who turns 61 today, to replace her.
He suggested, however, that they were prepared to hold strain to answer concerns raised by her.
“We felt that though we could have brought closure to this matter, we wanted to be fair to her,” Payne said.
