THE PEOPLE OF BARBADOS have been led into thinking that they want to rush out now and vote. I’m more inclined to believe they want to talk.
Yes, if a general election were called tomorrow Barbadians would have had enough time to make a judgement: four and a half years of it or, more specifically, just over two years under the leadership of the current Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.
But I’m still inclined to believe they want clarity on the issues that are burdening their minds as they ponder whether to give the current administration another term in office or to bring back from the political wilderness the man who led them through 14 years of plenty and undeniably good economic management – though in the absence of such a crippling global recession.
Therefore, a series of conversations is needed; for even in church it is not enough for informed and thinking congregations to merely imbibe sermons on Sundays, but to get opportunities at midweek Bible study periods to probe the minister on his sermon and other spiritual matters.
So it is at the national level, where the burning issues for Barbadians are mainly individual hardship, unemployment at over ten per cent, Barbados being rated at junk bond status, being burdened by high debt, and close to 40 000 policyholders and investors in CLICO International Life (CIL) and British American Insurance (BAICO) being in limbo.
These issues have been addressed at meetings and much ink has been spilt on them, but for those who wish to see them from a non-partisan perspective and to put Barbados first, a conversation is needed.
The hardship, unemployment and junk status cannot be blamed on the present or former Government. Therefore both major political parties must speak clearly to how they will effectively deal with these problems, along with the high national debt for which both administrations can be blamed.
The CIL/BAICO issue also merits two conversations: the first being an apology for the way this administration handled it in the first place, even as the Opposition was like a voice in the wilderness crying out for the judicial management that was only instituted late last year.
The second conversation would be for Government to choose one or a mixture of the judicial managers’ suggestions, while stating frankly the likelihood that policyholders in Barbados, and the Eastern Caribbean, will not get relief overnight.
I must therefore commend the Opposition for its decision to stage town hall meetings and have intimate conversations with the people. It is a perfect forum for the Opposition to unveil its strategy and give specific alternative ways of making this ailing economy work, instead of dramatically dropping at the end of its 74th annual conference a 15-point plan that sounds impressive but is short on practical application.
And since Government must be aware of the Opposition’s conversation plan, it is even more essential for it to do more than the traditional weekend walk-through in communities.
As leader of the country, the Prime Minister should, at least once a week, sit in the state-owned CBC-TV studio and field questions from the public either via media conferences or frank conversations with average Barbadians calling into the studio.
For sure, it would bring more out of Prime Minister Stuart who, while being highly visible these days, remains weak in communicating on critical issues. If he is more of a one-on-one communicator instead of a leader who jumps into every fray like some proverbial white knight, then such interactive sessions would be tremendous for him. But what the public needs right now is a conversation.
I ATTENDED THE 39th graduation ceremony of the Barbados Community College (BCC) last Saturday and while it was warmly celebratory for the graduands, families and friends, it lacked proper emceeing.
Those assigned to announce names on the honours list did such a poor job that one could not help but wonder at the lack of basic reading skills at secondary and tertiary level today. Neither could one disagree with concerns raised every so often by education authorities about this ineptitude, ironically among some of our most highly educated.
It was awful to hear names being mispronounced, to hear some who got upper class honours being announced as lower class, to hear some whose names were accompanied by credits and distinctions being called without the credits.
These students would have worked too hard just to have their names and accomplishments so mistreated.
Please, BCC, make sure some kind of reading rehearsal is done for your next graduation.
• Ricky Jordan is an Associate Editor of THE NATION.
