DR DAVID ESTWICK is staying put although it may seem that he has been given a raw deal. But the St Philip West MP has issued a veiled warning that things could change.
In a statement last night he dispelled rumours that he would reject a new ministerial post saying, “my mother always said ‘time longer than twine’; ‘the race is not for the swift but is for he that endureth’. I am resilient and will endure.”
On Thursday night, Prime Minister David Thompson in his third Cabinet reshuffle since assuming power in January 2008, said he was switching Estwick from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and making Chris Sinckler Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.
The switch was interpreted by some people as an attempt by Thompson to annoint Sinckler as his heir apparent for the position of Prime Minister.
Sources close to the Government said Estwick was upset about not being named Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.
Estwick, a respected gerontologist and MP for St Philip West, had shadowed the Finance portfolio when the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) was in opposition, but it was Thompson who became Minister of Finance when the DLP won the general election.
On Thursday night, a visibly upset Estwick told journalists he would make his views known during a Press conference set for the following day. But yesterday, he postponed and later cancelled it. Eventually the statement was issued (see nationnews.com for the full statement).
This happened after some senior DLP officials had intervened trying to get Estwick to “cool off”.
In his statement Estwick said he would accept the new portfolio.
“I would like to inform him that, with great humility, I accept the position given to me at this time of Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Industry and Small Business,” he said in the lengthy statement.
Estwick declared that “no person is bigger than the Democratic Labour Party and no party is bigger than our beloved country, Barbados”.
Leadership
This is a point that resonates with party stalwart Branford Taitt. In his response to the reshuffle yesterday, he said that “just as (Errol) Barrow used to say, I do not think any one person should determine the leadership of the party; that is a matter for the membership.”
Ill-health has caused Thompson to shed this and other portfolios, while staying on as Prime Minister.
In the statement, Estwick indicated that his life had not been smooth sailing.
“Although it might seem that I have been given the bad end of the stick, it is my belief that I have been chosen by the Almighty and my constituents of St Philip West to work on behalf of this country,” he said.
He said he held no animosity towards anyone and “I would like to clear up any misconceptions which might be at this time in the public domain.”
He wished Sinckler “all that is good” and urged him as Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs to adopt the measures Estwick had presented to Cabinet.
“These measures, I am sure, would restore Barbados’ economic balance and re-establish Barbados’ international investment grade to A instead of a negative outlook,” he stated. (TY)
