Friends of Democracy (FOD) candidates have called for sweeping changes to Barbados’ approach to crime, housing and governance, including the reintroduction of capital and corporal punishment, as the party outlined key elements of its platform at a National Rally in Whitehall, St Michael, on Thursday night.
The proposals were advanced by FOD candidate for St Michael North, Ricardo Harrison, who said escalating crime – particularly among the youth – required what he described as serious and decisive action.
“The issue of crime continues to be a bugbear in Barbados. We dance around it, and we look out for the criminal element, but there is nothing in place for the victim. We are saying here that the only way to get this crime wrestled to the ground is to get serious about it.”
Referring to statements previously made by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Harrison said that for heinous crimes such as murder, “those found guilty should be given the death penalty”. He noted that the impact of violent crime extended far beyond the individual act. “Nobody ever gives thought that when you kill a young person, a mother, a child, an entire family grieves. We are saying that, as the Friends of Democracy, let us reintroduce capital punishment. If you don’t want the gallows, which last swung in 1984, then use the electric chair or the gas chamber.” Harrison also called for the return of corporal punishment and hard labour, particularly for young offenders who target vulnerable citizens.
Corporal punishsment
“For those youngsters who don’t want to work but like to prey on older folks, corporal punishment should be introduced. And to add to it, introduce hard labour like was done in the past,” he said.
Turning to housing, Harrison highlighted what he described as a major manifesto pledge of the party.
“The Friends of Democracy, as one of its key manifesto promises, will give you affordable housing,” he said, outlining plans for 100 per cent mortgages for qualified applicants. He said the programme would target public officers, including “nurses, police officers, and civil servants in the salary category of $2 500 to $5 000.”
“These mortgages will be superintended and supervised by creditable agencies,” Harrison added.
Other issues raised by Harrison included public transportation, reducing Value Added Tax, reintroducing price controls on specific goods, the sewage and solid waste tax, and the importation of firearms.
President of the Friends of Democracy, Karina Goodridge, also addressed the rally, telling supporters that “a stronger Opposition equals a stronger Barbados” and pledging that the party “will continue to fight on behalf of every citizen in this nation”.
Speaking in support of Harrison’s candidacy, Goodridge stressed the importance of accountability. “Part of good governance is accountability and transparency,” she said, questioning how citizens could have confidence in leadership “when you don’t have the accountability and transparency that you need as people?”
CARIFESTA budget criticised
She criticised the Government’s handling of the budget for CARIFESTA 2025, saying, “We want to know what was spent, what was budgeted for? Furthermore, we are going into an election, and there are so many unanswered questions.”
Goodridge also argued that Barbados needed to pursue “proper investment plans” rather than overburden citizens with taxes, and suggested medical tourism as one potential revenue stream. “Why is it that tourists can’t bring foreign investment?” she asked.
Addressing health care, she called for a stateof- the-art hospital to curb brain drain, attributing ongoing challenges at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to “waste and a lot of mismanagement”, and suggesting there was “room for corruption”.
Rejecting the idea that Barbados should be limited to two political parties, Goodridge told the gathering, “It is time that we look at the representatives and strongly ask ourselves if they deserve our vote.”
She also warned that voter apathy threatened “true democracy in this country”, and outlined other proposals, including the creation of coconut water villages to support vendors in the sector.
“We have a policy to have these villages . . . like telling every individual who handles and deals with coconuts that we appreciate your service and that we want to elevate you,” she said. (WH)
