Former Member of Parliament Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo took to the political platform on Tuesday night, the first time she has been seen in political circles since the Democratic Labour Party’s first crushing 30-0 defeat in 2018.
Byer-Suckoo, who served as constituency representative for St George South from 2008 to 2013, was warmly received by DLP supporters when she attended a spot meeting at Ellerton, St George, on the lawns of the constituency office of the present St George South candidate, Felicia Dujon.
“Oh my gosh, this brings back so many great memories,” she declared. “It was so good to be here amongst friends and family. I didn’t think I was going to be standing here anytime soon again, but oh my gosh, it is so good to be here. You guys have no idea how excited I was to look around and see familiar faces. I’m glad that you guys have stayed the course and that you are here, that you are still part of the Democratic Labour Party family . . . ,” she said.
Byer-Suckoo who served as Minister of Family, Youth and Sports and also Minister of Labour, spoke for close to 30 minutes as she strongly endorsed Dujon’s candidacy.
She charged that the constituency where she once lived and worked her medical practice was replete with neglect.
“The decline that we have seen, both in the infrastructure, the decline that we have seen in just the morals and the standards that we are seeing in this community, it breaks my heart. Just the decline that we are seeing all around us, the gun violence that we are seeing in this constituency.
“Listen, St George South, yes, we need infrastructure. We still need roads, we need housing. And the truth is, the current MP is no longer in a position to have any say on what will happen with roads and housing in Barbados. Even if he gets back in . . . he has no position anymore. You don’t notice that when you see anything that is happening in any of the campaigns, do you see your MP? They don’t call him. They hiding him in the back. He does not have the position anymore that he can leverage to do anything in this constituency. So he is no use to us anymore.”
Pointing to Dujon she said: “This is what St George South needs. She has a vision for this constituency. A vision that I entirely endorse and it is a vision that puts people first.”
Byer-Suckoo urged constituents not to get distracted by what the BLP would say about Dujon.
“Because I can tell you of an election not so long ago when, as the Barbados Labour Party is known to do, they started to throw all kinds of distractions about the place. And you are going to hear about who ain’t born here. And who from Guyana and who from Trinidad. None of that is important.” (MB)
