The Nation’s Online Editor Carol Martindale looks at What’s Trending today in Barbados.
Politics is the issue that is trending today.
This time it centres around the meeting requested by MP Mia Mottley.
She wants to hold court with Opposition Leader Owen Arthur to discuss the issue of the nomination process of all Barbados Labour Party candidates. It was sparked by the fact that sitting MP Rawle Eastmond has been told he has to take part in a run off to determine who will be the candidate for St James North in the next General Election.
However, Arthur today quickly responded to Mottley stating there will be no private meeting.
Some of our readers entered the political debate.
Ashantia Howard: “Why won’t Arthur have dialogue with Mottley face to face? What is he afraid of?”
Devaron Bruce: “Seriously Arthur, you could at least pretend to be amicable.”
Gail Hewitt-Clarke: “Come on guys, play nice. We’re all adults, I think?”
Lora Ann C Franklin: “Come one people, think about the upcoming elections. Do you want to be a serious contender or do you want to continue play games? Ms. Mottley is an asset.”
Lynette Eastmond: “There are regularly scheduled meetings of the BLP Parliamentary Group to which all members are invited….. I believe that this would be an excellent place to raise all political issues among colleagues. Instead Mia shouts across Barbados through the Nation Newspaper. When are we going to close down this Animal Farm? In 2012 we are still going to tolerate the notion that there are Barbadians that are created more equal than others? I am baffled and perplexed as to what this superiority is based on especially in this case – the ability to memorise speeches and repeat them without notes. Come on we used to do that when we were five years old at Sunday School.
”I was completely baffled as to why she would want to meet with Arthur on the Rawle issue. Is she his campaign manager, if so she and Rawle should seek an audience with the General Secretary. This is what the other candidates are doing (sorry I forget Animal Farm still open) There are those whose sole aim is to make it appear as though the BLP is embroiled in controversy when there is only one person in the Party doing it. If they no longer have any loyalty to the Barbados Labour Party then they should really do the decent thing. There are so many people in the BLP who contested bitter nominations that are still in the Party working for the cause. Owen Arthur made two excellent speeches recently – let us focus on the future not on a farce where some people believe they are more important than the rest of us Barbadians, this Country and the Party.”
George Griffith: “The BLP is a democratically run political …We can and will make the tough decisions instead of seeking cheap popularity. The rules will prevail.”
carolmartindale@nationnews.com
