There’s a sense of déjà vu about this general election campaign, which would be amusing if the stakes weren’t so high.
It’s as if the parties – the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) – have reversed their 2008 roles, with the Bees using the tactics the Dems successfully used on them, and the Dems complaining in much the same way the Bees did back then.
First, there was the walkout of Parliament by the Bees and the demand for Prime Minister Freundel Stuart to call the general elections. This was similar to what the Dems did to then Prime Minister Owen Arthur. The reasons advanced were, of course, different, but the strategy was the same.
The second similarity is that immediately after Arthur called that January 15 poll, the Dems painted the island blue and yellow with their posters and billboards.
The Bees did the same thing this time around, including getting the same man who erected the Dems’ billboards in 2008 to erect theirs. So within hours of the announcement of the forthcoming February 21 general elections, red posters plastered utility poles, trees, walls, palings and more in every nook and cranny here, and the billboards were put up at strategic vantage points.
Another similarity is the tone of the Bees’ response to a code of conduct for the election. They took the moral high ground early, similar to what Thompson did in 2008 when he called for a clean campaign and underscored the need for candidates not to be abusive. Last Saturday Arthur said his party would subscribe to a code if it was able to publicly sanction and discipline politicians who breached it.
Then there was the DLP’s massive entertainment show on January 1, 2008, at Oistins, which attracted a huge audience. The Bees had a similar impact with their event at Haggatt Hall on Saturday night.
But the utterances of some of the DLP hierarchy really brought home this role reversal, so to speak. Dr David Estwick, for example, questioned the legality of sticking up posters before Nomination Day and stated he was a lawmaker and not a lawbreaker. It seems he had forgotten that in 2007 they did what the Bees are doing now.
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, too, entered the fray. He queried where the BLP got so much money from to put on the entertainment extravaganza at Haggatt Hall. He said: “A whole set of money is being splurged around Barbados in a very short time compass and you know in politics there are no free rides. So wherever this money is coming from, debts and loyalties are being created.”
The Prime Minister went on to describe the developments as investments in the BLP that would have to be repaid whenever they got back to Government.
Those of us who don’t have selective memories would recall that in 2008 the BLP ran full-page colour advertisements showing pictures of DLP leader Thompson and CLICO boss Leroy Parris together. One ad said: “Tell us, fellas, tell us the truth . . . . How much money has CLICO given to David and the DLP? . . . Bajans would like to know!”
There are other similarities and “role reversals” I have noticed, which makes me wonder if the Dems’ 2008 winning strategy has not been carefully analysed and adapted by the Bees. Their management team would surely deny this, but it seems to me a case of what was good for the goose is better for the gander.
Be that as it may, this forthcoming poll is possibly the most crucial this country has ever faced. Our economy has performed poorly, the cost of living continues to rise and many of us are worse off financially today than we were four years ago.
?Of course, the global financial recession is a major contributing factor to this situation. And, as a net importer, Barbados can do very little about controlling prices being demanded for commodities on the world market.
?Having said that, it is equally true that how local policies and taxes are applied can either exacerbate this situation or mitigate it.
Government argues that its policy is the best way to manage the economy, while the opposition says more can be done to alleviate hardships here if Government is more flexible and innovative. The electorate must decide which path it wants to take.
This wouldn’t be easy, though, as issues are often sidelined in political campaigns while personalities are highlighted. Already this has started in earnest rather than there being a discussion on solutions going forward.
With 15 days to go before polIing, voters need to quiz candidates about their party’s policies and how they propose to deal with the huge fiscal debt we have built up. This is a time for direct answers from those who present themselves to lead us. We should not sell ourselves short by being swayed in any way. Our future depends on us being resolute.
• Sanka Price is a NATION editor.
