IF NEWS CIRCULATING among some members of the political class is true, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart may create another first in Barbados’ history.
If what is being whispered has any credibility – on top of Stuart being the longest serving acting Prime Minister of Barbados and the second prime minister to win an election after coming to office on the death of a predecessor – he is set to be the first Barbadian leader to retire unbeaten from politics.
This move is reportedly being looked at as part of an overall strategy to make the ruling party more attractive to the electorate in the next general elections.
The move would see Stuart retiring from politics on calling the elections, while one of his colleagues leads a team with a number of fresh faces included into the poll. The strategy would be consistent with what the Democratic Labour Party-Government did in 1994 when the late David Thompson led the party into the general elections while Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford, now Sir Lloyd, contested the St Michael South seat as an ordinary representative.
As Stuart would be 67 years old in April 2018, the word is that the plan may not meet any resistance from him. After all, he would always be able to boast that he defeated Owen Arthur, the longest serving prime minister in Barbados’ history, and forced him into retirement.
So the proponents of this strategy reportedly expect the major hurdle to overcome is who will lead the party into the poll. And that can be contentious.
From what Cou Cou has heard, there are four likely candidates – Richard Sealy, Donville Inniss, Dr David Estwick and Chris Sinckler. Sealy is said to be the one favoured by the elders and leading thinkers within the party as his tourism portfolio has been the only real success story for the administration in the last eight years. However, the fear is that he does not command the following within the party to solidify it behind him as Inniss, who once served as general secretary, does.
Like all Barbados, Cou Cou is anxiously awaiting word on what the ruling DLP’s plans are for the next general election.
Front pew seems to be reserved
IS THE FRONT pew reserved at a certain Anglican Church for the reverend’s wife only?
That is the question members a service club were left wondering after an incident at the church recently.
The leadership of the service club, including the person scheduled to read one of the lessons, were all seated awaiting the start of the service when the ushers asked them to move into the pew behind.
Then the wife of the priest in charge came and sat in the pew. She was later joined by the wife of the minister taking the service.
However, after the service started, the service club members noted that no one else came to sit in the front pew. It was only on completion of the joint service of the church and the other one which the priest has responsibility for, that all was revealed by a long-standing member of the congregation.
He stated that it seems the reverend’s wife likes to sit in the front pew alone, so when she attends service, no one else sits beside her.
The congregant also stated that the church had been losing membership for some time and asked the service group members if they don’t realise that if their numbers were subtracted from the congregation, they would hardly be anyone attending the service though two churches were involved.
The man is hoping that Bishop Holder gets to hear about the matter and do something about it soon for the church’s sake.
