ALL AH WE IS ONE: 2nd Term blues

THE CURRENT NATIONAL DISCOURSE surrounding the question of the legitimacy of the tenure of the Speaker of the Parliament, Michael Carrington, over a matter springing from his private legal practice, is symptomatic of a deeper malaise facing the ruling Democratic Labour Party, which can be attributed to the expected attrition facing a government, in mid-term.

Whilst political observers tend to fix their gaze on the macro-issues such as economic development, policy effectiveness and political stability when gauging the strength and future prospects of a ruling party, it is often the private personality issues which provide the telling indicators of the current legitimacy and future longevity of a party in government.  

What is significant about the Carrington issue is that it has contributed to the removal of one of the more positive features of the public perception of the DLP.  

Thus, whilst it has generally been accepted that the DLP has under-performed on economic development and social policy, one of the feathers in the DLP’s cap was the perception that it never had to address allegations of private and public personal and financial impropriety.  

By being forced to respond to the Opposition’s refusal to accept the legitimacy of the tenure of Michael Carrington as speaker, this important feature of the DLP’s record has been eroded.  

Moreover, the Carrington issue is not likely to disappear, since every walk-out by the opposition will add to the air of illegitimacy and will erode the sense of an allegation-free tenure which has hitherto aided the DLP in surviving its more glaring failures on the economic front.  

Given the delicate balance in parliament, the DLP’s commitment to defending the Speaker, and the opposition’s insistence on not accepting Carrington’s Speakership, it is likely that the issue will endure to the end of the current term, until something gives.

Despite this, it is unlikely that the ruling administration will appear troubled by the current developments. The last election suggested that the goal of the DLP was to secure a re-election victory as an end in itself, divorced from any development or policy motivation.  

Similarly, there is much in the political style of Prime Minister Stuart, who, having been written off as a potential leader for much of his early career, appears to be merely enjoying the office of the Prime Minister for its own sake, as a personal achievement.  

Having secured its second term, and despite the public unease over recent developments, there is little to suggest that the DLP feels any undue discomfort with the current mid-term restlessness by the Barbadian public.  

Perhaps, the most troubling feature of the current Barbadian political condition from a development perspective is the decision by all concerned – government, opposition and voter – to accept the reality as given, bear the blues, and wait for the next election.

Tennyson Joseph is a political scientist at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, specialising in regional affairs. Email tjoe2008@live.com.