THE YEAR 2012 will be a “make-or-break” year for Barbados, both politically and financially, former Prime Minister Owen Arthur has predicted.
In a fiery feature speech at the Bay Primary School Sunday night, Arthur told a packed school hall that the country currently lay near the brink of financial disaster, and indicated that the Government had given no indication it could offer solutions, while his Barbados Labour Party (BLP) was ready to take charge.
In his first public speech of 2012, Arthur also said his “fire inside was burning”, that he had no plans of retiring from elective politics any time soon and would be making a number of speeches leading up to whenever the next general election is called.
“I have a higher duty today. I am here to tell you that we [the BLP] will take charge of the country. Give me the tools. Give me the team, and I will do the job,” Arthur told the people attending the meeting at which former Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch won the nomination as the BLP’s representative for the St Michael South constituency.
According to the former Prime Minister, the current Democratic Labour Party Government continued to fail because it was a band of young recruits with nothing to contribute to good governance of Barbados, with its special needs.
“The next test this country faces will be the sternest in the history of Barbados,” he forecast. “And it can be dealt with by only the best team possible. We will fix this economy again.”
The Member of Parliament for St Peter said it wasn’t all about the economy either, but also about personnel.
“We have people in this Government who are drawing money and doing nothing. For the first time in Barbados, there is the real possibility of us sucking salt. Like escaped prisoners, this DLP Cabinet is at large,” Arthur said to loud applause.
He added that Barbados was on a path to going under because no one was in charge on Bay Street [Government Headquarters].
“When things are tough, a Government must act, and let the results work, not sit around and do nothing. We will act,” Arthur promised.
According to Arthur, it was time for the DLP Government to stop blaming all the country’s ills on the worldwide recession.
“What this country needs is good governance. That’s why you have governments in the first place, because the people can’t be asked to take care of the country themselves,” the 28-year political veteran said.
Noting that when he was Prime Minister for 14 years he was the guardian of the country’s stability, Arthur said the same could not be said for Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, whom he claimed was easily the worst Prime Minister in Barbados’ political history.
“The leader of the country must protect the stability of the country, and that is not being done. We will restore the correct form of governance needed,” Arthur concluded.
