PROMINENT ANGLICAN CLERIC Guy Hewitt is among nine people who have formally expressed interest in contesting the Christ Church West constituency on a Democratic Labour Party (DLP) ticket.
But his decision to seek to become the first member of the Anglican Diocese here to get involved in elective politics does not appear to have the full backing of the church at this time – even though Hewitt is contending that there is “no separation of church and state in the Westminster system”.
Hewitt, the assistant priest at Christ Church Parish Church, also argues that a precedent exists in both Britain and Barbados for ministers of religion to serve in the Lower House.
In the case of Barbados, an obvious reference may be made to Rev. Joseph Atherley, who was elected to the House of Assembly in 1999 on a Barbados Labour Party ticket and is now making a comeback bid after losing the St Michael West seat in 2008 to House Speaker Michael Carrington.
On the DLP side, it is not clear when the formal nomination process will take place for the Christ Church West seat, but Hewitt and up to eight other party faithful – including lawyer Verla Depeiza, public relations consultant Patrick Gollop, businessmen Taan Abed, Peter Barrow and Hal Martin – are hoping to get the nod.
The seat in question is held by dental surgeon Dr William Duguid, who has said he will not be running in the next general election, constitutionally due in two years.
Asked to confirm whether or not he would indeed throw his hat into the ring, Hewitt, who ischairman of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital board, would only say: “Both my God and my country have been wonderful to me and I try to serve them both by giving back to the poor, the sick, the marginalized and those in need.”
When contacted yesterday, head of the Anglican Diocese, Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of Barbados Dr John Holder, said he was not in a position to comment on the matter.
But outspoken cleric Charles Morris said while he was not opposed to a priest entering elective politics, he felt members of the clergy should not hide behind the church if their interest was in politics.
“If that was what he [Hewitt] was about, he should have come out and said so,” Morris told the DAILY NATION.Two other Anglican clergymen, Austin Carrington, head of the Christ Church Deanery, and Wayne Kirton, priest-in-charge of St John the Baptist/Good Shepherd, also said they saw nothing wrong with a priest entering politics.They acknowledged that Hewitt’s move had to be ratified by the Bishop.