If politics is essentially about winning control of Government, then, political parties are left with no other choice but to come up with creative strategies to win over the majority of the electorate. Those strategies must incorporate issues that are important to the individuals who will eventually make the final decisions. But getting the strategies “right” is more often than not easier said than done.
And I firmly believe that the prevailing circumstances in Barbados will subsequently reaffirm that belief.
You see, in the latest CADRES poll, leadership, according to the findings, has emerged as one of the major concerns among respondents.
Given the experiences we have had with general elections and the outcomes not only here in Barbados but across the region, it is difficult to argue against this finding.
But perhaps more importantly, political parties all across the Caribbean and even beyond seem to recognize and appreciate the significance of effective leadership in determining success or failure at the polls.
In that regard, countries that have recently held general elections provide interesting scenarios for analysis and reflection.
In The Bahamas, Perry Christie lost the 2007 elections but his party opted to keep him as its leader. Five years later his party regained power in a landslide victory, forcing the former prime minister to relinquish his leadership role within his own party instantaneously.
Clearly, in both cases, a judgment call had to be made in relation to leadership of the two parties to make them more effective and forceful in the domestic political arena.
Following the 2008 general election here in Barbados, former Prime Minister Owen Arthur quickly stepped aside as leader of his party, paving the way for the emergence of Mia Mottley as the new leader.
Subsequently, Mr Arthur was returned to the leadership position because there was a general feeling among some members of the party that with his leadership the party stood a much better chance of winning the upcoming general elections.
Given that Mr Arthur has emerged as the preferred leader according to the CADREs poll, it is unlikely that there will be any immediate challenge to his leadership in his party.
But what about the leadership of the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP)? The CADRES poll puts Mr Sinckler in third position as leader of the country, ahead of the Prime Minister and leader of the DLP.
If leadership matters and the goal of politics is to win control of the Government, clearly, the DLP ought to be reconsidering its strategic options going forward and must seriously look at the issue of leadership in order to maximize its chances of winning the next election.
The options facing the DLP seem clear: Mr Stuart or Mr Sinckler!
That said, we have to remember that not too long ago Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Chris Sinckler openly declared that he has no interest in putting himself forward as a candidate for Prime Minister since he has no ambition to become Prime Minister.
Does that declaration now present a dilemma for the ruling party since the CADRES polls indicate that Mr Sinckler is the leader of choice among party supporters?
• Brian M. Francis PhD is a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
