While members of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) have been the first to affix their political posters on Barbados Light & Power (BL&P) electrical poles, the practice is being frowned upon by at least two other political parties.
Grenville Phillips II, leader of Solutions Barbados, and Ambrose Grosvenor, campaign manager for the United Progressive Party, said they would not be following suit.
As early as Monday, BLP posters were being put up on electrical poles across various constituencies.
Phillips said they would not be engaging in the “unethical” practice, but acknowledged it was a “clever tactic for them to get name recognition” because he did not know some of the candidates.
“It’s something that political parties normally do around the Caribbean. However, this time, and I am making a big assumption, we received formal correspondence from Light & Power before Christmas forbidding us from placing our posters on their poles,” he said.
The civil engineer added not only was it “unprofessional”, it was not the decent, ethical, reasonable and moral thing to do.
“I called Light & Power, and I let them know that I hoped they were not being partisan in that they are telling us not to put up ours, but they would allow the Barbados Labour Party and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) to put up theirs.
“As far as I am concerned, Light & Power were not partisan, but now that they are owned by Canadians [Emera] . . . I hope that everyone would be treated the same. I expect that [the Bees] would receive the same warning, and if they put up theirs it would be taken down,” he said, adding that he had gotten some assurance that would happen.
Grosvenor deemed the Bees’ action a form of trespassing.
“Certainly I am of the view that if Light & Power advises parties not to put posters on the pole, then any party that does that is trespassing purposely on private property. That does not speak well for them. I can assure you that we will not put up posters. We will continue going close to people and share with them, but we will not be trespassing on people’s property,” he said.
His comments followed a Facebook post by UPP leader Lynette Eastmond, who sent the simple message: “Over to you Light & Power” on Tuesday.
Jackie Marshall-Clarke, manager of communications and Government relations for BL&P, said they would issue a press release addressing the matter shortly.
Attempts to reach DLP general secretary George Pilgrim for comment were unsuccessful. (RA)
