DESPITE A SERIES of meetings to resolve acute differences between top-ranked members of the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP), none of them proved fruitful enough to stop the no-confidence motion that turned the tide of political history in Barbados in 1994.
Leading up to that fateful motion against Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford (now Sir Lloyd) and the crushing defeat of the DLP at the polls, which ushered in 14 years of Barbados Labour Party (BLP) rule, young pastor Reverend David Durant was trying to mend fences and heal the raw wounds of dissension between the adamant “Sandi” and at least four of his ministers and members of Cabinet.
“Minister of Sport at the time, Wes Hall, spoke with me, and he got the other three guys together as well. They were together opposing the Prime Minister at the time: Wes Hall, Harold Blackman, Evelyn Greaves and Keith Simmons,” recalled Durant, today a Government senator in the Upper House.
“We had several meetings on behalf of the church. I had several meetings with them at my office and with the Prime Minister as well. He came to two of the meetings. Then I had meetings at Ilaro Court with the ministers and the Prime Minister,” he added.
Durant went as far as to gather together several of the island’s senior pastors, who accompanied him to a meeting at Ilaro Court, the Prime Minister’s official residence, in a vain attempt to, as Durant described it, “broker a deal and bring peace and resolve to the situation”.
While the talks seemed amicable, frank and flavoured with rays of hope, Durant admitted in a recent interview with the SUNDAY SUN, that “it didn’t work. The meetings seemed to be getting somewhere but it just didn’t work out in the long run”.
If hindsight is akin to 20-20 vision, then in the view of Reverend Senator Dr Durant, a stubborn streak on the part of the strong personalities involved was the key.
“Looking back it could have been a bit of stubbornness on the part of all parties involved. Communication was also the problem, but I know that both sides wanted something to work out. I can say that. And I know that the Prime Minister, who is now Sir Lloyd, wanted a settlement as well, and that’s why the meetings were entertained and why they all attended them,” Durant recalled.
The fiery preacher, mediator and head of Restoration Ministries admitted that it was indeed a challenge, but he did his best with the help of God and was able to get other senior ministers involved and working together.
“I remember at the office receiving faxes from the Prime Minster and the other ministers so that we could all continue to work toward a resolution. So I was able to mediate. There were fruitful sessions, very fruitful, but at the end, the no-confidence motion still went through, which was unfortunate. The rest is history,” he said with typical frankness.
But if Durant had to do it again, he would put in just as much effort and pray that the approaches of both parties – the Prime Minister and the opposing ministers – would be different from in 1994.
“Any situation can be resolved; it just calls for relationship, a level of understanding, forgiveness on both sides and a sense of humility. It could have worked. I know it could have worked,” he said.
Had it worked, though, history would have been much different.
Today, Durant has retained a solid friendship with Sir Lloyd and some members of his Cabinet for whom June 1994 would forever be a dark but momentous learning experience.
“I believe that Sir Lloyd, in looking back, would have grasped a lot, and I think Minister Hall and the other ministers would have learnt volumes from the experience as well. I believe that everybody involved wish they could have done things differently, but with age comes maturity, and as heads cool, we all recognise that things could have been done somewhat differently,” was how Durant put it.
For him, it was also an experience that enhanced his view of the role of Christianity in human affairs, particularly those characterized by conflict.
“Situations like these can in general be resolved more speedily and more amicably with a Christian approach because the first likely approach of a Christian is to forgive. Another Christian approach is to be humble and to function in humility and consider the feelings of others above your own, as Christ would have taught us.
“The Christian approach ideally takes self out of the way and looks at situations through the eyes of Christ, so there would be more compassion, long-suffering and a spirit of forgiveness,” he explained.
Are those attributes present in the party today? In Durant’s view, no member of today’s DLP Government would want to go down the same path of 1994.
In fact, he highlighted the Eager Eleven saga of December 2011 as an example of the political party having learnt from the past.
“That was an example of forgiveness. The Eager Eleven matter was just a misunderstanding that was blown out of proportion and it wasn’t what was released in the Press. It wasn’t what was said. Yet it could have really brought a lot of division and confusion, but again, I was also able to speak into that situation and I know that forgiveness was embraced and released,” he told the SUNDAY SUN.
He added in relation to the Eager Eleven that “if heads had gone according to their own dictates, things would’ve been different but good sense and wisdom prevailed. Forgiveness prevailed as well. There was a spirit of togetherness and unity that really took over the void that the spirit of unforgiveness would have created. That void was filled with harmony, unity, relationship, togetherness and understanding, and with the very good spirit of forgiveness”.
Noting that infighting seemed to be the sine qua non of party politics, he had some advice for the current Opposition Barbados Labour Party. “I would say in relation to the Opposition to look at the bigger picture. See the nation and teamwork as key. Individuality must go through the door. They must work together, and forgiveness has to be a major factor in the Opposition camp. Once that could be understood and embraced, things can be different,” he said.
Overall, Durant suggested, if that spirit of peace and togetherness can be fostered it would make this country a better place.
“Teamwork is a powerful tool, you know, because in the spirit of teamwork we forget our individuality and everyone recognises his or her place and functions in that place. They have a conviction of purpose and they know that purpose is not just to serve themselves but to serve the nation. Once you connect with that purpose, it will really put you in a good position in meeting the needs of the nation,” he added.
While balancing prayer and Christian conviction with politics, the man who met Sir Lloyd while residing in the 1990s in Brittons Hill, part of the St Michael South constituency which Sir Lloyd represented, is adamant that Christ is the answer.
“The more we connect with Him, not depending on ourselves and our intellect only, but trusting in God, that’s the key; that would be my advice to any person who is in leadership, in this Government or any other.
“Trusting in God with all your heart, leaning not unto your own understanding, committing your ways to him and just asking Him to guide you through the turbulent waters,” Durant concluded.