THE END OF THE PROCESS that saw the Appropriation Bill 2017 passed by both the House of Assembly and the Senate, the break in meetings for the Easter recess of Parliament, as well as the promise of an early budget from Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler, raise interest about the election timetable of the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
The life of the Government now moves into a period of less than 50 weeks before the end of the five years since the start of the current Parliament.
The Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) seems to be intensifying its work on the ground with weekly Rubbing Shoulders sessions and the month of celebrations in April to mark the service of Sir Grantley Adams to Barbados as leader of that party and first Premier.
The DLP has been less publicly active except for occasional teasing remarks and ridicule of their opponents, made at branch meetings, as well as two press conferences given by general secretary George Pilgrim around the time of the March Of Disgust held by the BLP.
Expiry of the first quarter of the last full year of rule by the DLP has sent no signal of anxiety from Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, on whose shoulders falls the responsibility to choose the date of the next general election. Until the DLP gears up its selection process for the candidates to contest seats now held by the Opposition, we have to assume that the incumbent party sees no urgency in putting its selectees in the field and among the electorate. That is a sure
indication of confidence.
But there must be a sense of apprehension among the new individual hopefuls, particularly those without name recognition, over the limited months left to do the tedious and time-consuming chore of meeting with constituents.
With the possible exceptions of the St Michael South East and St James Central seats where the caretakers are facing known challenges from new candidates wanting to contest the nomination process, little seems to bestir the DLP in the other ten ridings where they will be required to field new candidates (the Christ Church West nomination having been earlier resolved.)
THE DLP must be aware that there is the potential for the BLP, operating in the dark about a possible election date, to run stale in the eyes of voters who would have seen and heard enough of them by the time the bell rings. But that is a game that can be played either way.
Given the fact that the BLP is the minority party and that it lost the allegiance of two MPs in the current parliamentary term, its task of getting new people to the fore has more urgency than that of the ruling party.
With Crop Over and Carifesta on the calendar of events for the summer months, there is likely to be a pause in feverish political activity in June, July and August.
Barbadians can then expect that the battle would be fully joined immediately after the start of the new school year, carrying the country into election mode as early as October and as late as the first quarter of 2018.
Party support is likely to depend on the nature of the election year Budget and the prevailing economic conditions in the second half of 2017.