IT COULD BE a case of a furious rejected political aspirant trying to prove a point. Or one where a veteran politician senses the winds of change blowing and wants to be part of that hurrah.
Then again, it could be a case where the individual has such confidence in their candidacy that even though the party’s branch voted against him, he still feels the constituents would support him.
Whichever it is, David Gill, the former single-term Barbados Labour Party (BLP) parliamentary representative for St Michael South Central, will stand as an independent in the next general elections.
Cou Cou got hold of the October 15, 2016 letter which Gill reportedly sent to a select number of people indicating his intentions despite losing the October 2 nomination to newcomer Marsha Caddle 132 votes to 103.
Gill said he remained “undaunted and committed” to serving the constituency, noting that the continuous support he has received through the years convinces him that he “should not walk away because of the conspiracy of a few persons”. He reminded constituents his candidacy was similar to that of National Democratic Party leader Dr Richie Haynes two decades ago in the riding. Then they were presented with a choice between a “B”, a “D” and an “N”, and they voted for Haynes.
Gill, who was beaten in the last three general elections by Richard Sealy, said wherever he goes in the constituency the people are saying they want to change the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and he believes his “history of representation, integrity and scholarship represents a key asset to address the needs of the constituency at this time”.
It will be interesting to see if Gill will follow through when the election bell is rung and if he is able to do well enough to save his deposit since Barbadians traditionally do not support independents.
It will be doubly intriguing if Maria Agard, the MP for Christ Church West, who was expelled from the BLP, also mounts a solo platform, or if she will join forces with the DLP against her former colleagues.
In rat heaven
IF YOU ARE seeing rats around The City even in the day, that’s because the rodent population is growing by leaps and bounds.
Cou Cou understands that personnel in the unit responsible for controlling the furry, four-legged disease carriers are hamstrung in their efforts as they do not have enough materials to set down bait.
Those who reported the lowdown on this development said the mosquito situation was also out of control, and that was why record numbers of cases of dengue were being reported.
Our informant said homeowners were now reaping the bitter fruits of the discontinuation of the island-wide debushing programme two years ago and the prevalence of major garbage pile-ups. He said these things provided the rodents with some place to hide and plenty of food to eat. So they have been happily reproducing with little interruption for several months now.
The person in the know told Cou Cou that apart from the Government’s foul-up in this matter, Barbadians must also take the blame for the way they continue to drop rubbish anywhere and fail to use the receptacles provided. Also, too many people allowed bush to grow on their vacant lots.
