SEVENTEEN resolutions are expected to be tabled at today’s final session of the Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) 72nd annual conference at Deighton Griffith Secondary School.
Among them is one supported by the St Thomas, St James North, St Michael East and the St Michael North-East branches, as well as the League of Young Socialists, dealing with the process of selecting delegates with voting rights from constituency branches.
That resolution states: Whereas there has been a significant amount of controversy as to the selection of delegates for the participation of The Annual Conference 2010; And whereas section 36 (a) of the constitution of the Barbados Labour Party provides that one delegate should be selected for every ten members of the particular branchor organ;
And whereas the manner of selection by a number of constituency branches and organs has led to the exclusion of persons who have normally been active in and outside of the party, on behalfof the party;
And whereas the annual conference is the highest decision-making organ of the Barbados Labour Party and is the forum where voting takes place for the officersof the party;
And whereas by failing to be selected as a delegate, members of the party are effectively disenfranchised and precluded from exercising their vote at the annual conference;
And whereas there has been a trend in modern political parties to provide for one man, one vote, one woman, one vote, in accordance with the best precepts of democracy;
And whereas the founding leader of the Barbados Labour Party, the Right Excellent Sir Grantley Adams is widely regarded as the father of democracy in Barbados through his piloting of the Representation Of The People Act, sixty years ago in 1950;
And whereas, there are a number of other deficiencies in the existing constitution which lead to the absence of full transparency and accountability;
Be it resolved that this annual conference, in recognition of the 60th anniversary of one man, one vote, one woman, one vote (the right to universal adult suffrage) and in recognition of the need to bring greater democracy, transparency and accountability to the party of the Right Excellent Sir Grantley Adams, agree that each and every member of the Barbados Labour Party be entitled as of right to attend and participate in all annual conferences hereinafter as a delegate upon payment of the requisite delegate fees;
And further be it resolved that any amendments to bring about the said change in the right of members be drafted and settled along with any other amendments to bring about greater transparency, accountability and democracy within the Barbados Labour Party and that they be presented at a special constitutional conference of the Barbados Labour Party to be held no later than 30th April 2011.
This year’s conference has been marred by controversy amid accusations of irregular selection of delegates and padding of the membership of several branches.
St James North MP Rawle Eastmond has gone on record as discovering evidence of recruitment irregularities in his branch. (WG)