BLP legacy: constructed the Tom Adams Financial Centre as a new headquarters for the Central Bank; established the National Cultural Foundation (NCF); passed the very important Property, Administrative Justice, Immigration, Ombudsman, Family Law and Companies Acts.
Barbadians continue to wonder aloud why this Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Government chooses to ignore the legitimate demands of the public, by stubbornly refusing to provide any information whatsoever on the sums of money and other details involved in the reported three-year, multimillion-dollar contract between the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) and the management of our superstar Rihanna, with regard to the recent LOUD concert and other undertakings.
And they are certainly not in any mood to accept nonsensical BTA excuses that a so-called “confidentiality clause” prevents that Government agency from telling the nation exactly what are the terms of the arrangements, a condition that had never before been known to exist in public matters except where they understandably relate to defence and security affairs.
That is why they are speculating that the BTA and the Government that oversees would have to have something to hide to make them take this unprecedented position that in effect means that a private company can insultingly trample on our national sovereignty by dictating terms that tie the hands and stuff the mouth of an organization mandated to advance Barbados’ best interests.
And who can blame the public for thinking such, given bitter memories of the massive cover-up over two of our most significant events in recent times, namely the early true state of health of CLICO and the late Prime Minister David Thompson.
Ironically enough, Thompson himself had assured the country that CLICO was “sound and well managed”, while up to his death people in Government worked hard to conceal the gravity of his illness.
Then they point to Page 47 of the DLP’s 2008 election-winning manifesto which stresses that “as servants and representatives of the people there can be no secrets or matters to be hidden from the population” and commits a DLP Government to keeping the public informed through “the publication of details of agreements and contracts involving the Government and its agencies”.
Of course the DLP still does not believe a manifesto to be a “social contract”, given its blatant and shameless breaking of promises, for example, to reduce the cost of living. But the rights and wishes of the public deserve far greater respect from the DLP.
Thus they also want to hear from the BTA details of the involvement in the LOUD concert of Cariblantic Productions, a company registered D#347553 on June 7, just before the announcement of the event, with event management as its main purpose and a registered office of Franklin House, Wildey.
More so, what are the connections, if any, to the DLP by one Shawn W. Franklin, director?
The DLP had fooled itself that the razzle-dazzle of the Rihanna concert would distract the public for a long time. But this failed since taxpayers want full disclosure of their financial involvement and the intended beneficiaries of this commitment, especially in these prolonged tough financial times.
Nothing less will do. Anything else will not be forgotten or forgiven.
• Beresford Leon Padmore is a pseudonym
for the Barbados Labour Party.