分类： politics

With Barbados’ February 11 general election approaching, candidates from the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) are expressing strong confidence following extensive grassroots campaigning and positive voter reception across constituencies. The political hopefuls formalized their candidacies Thursday by submitting election deposits at the Treasury offices within the National Housing Corporation building on Country Road.

Both first-time contenders and returning politicians emphasized the significance of their sustained community outreach efforts, which in many cases began nearly two years before the official election announcement. Business executive Ryan Brathwaite, St Joseph constituency candidate, revealed his team has maintained active field presence for approximately 18 months. ‘Our canvassing operations have progressed exceptionally well,’ Brathwaite noted. ‘This extended timeframe has allowed us to thoroughly understand constituent needs and ensure comprehensive voter engagement.’

Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight, contesting Christ Church South, characterized the prevailing electoral atmosphere as ‘decidedly positive and favorable.’ She emphasized continuous daily voter interactions, particularly in areas experiencing developmental challenges. ‘Our approach centers on collaborative problem-solving with residents through attentive listening and responsive action,’ Dr. Munro-Knight stated, affirming her commitment to sustained community representation beyond the electoral period.

For attorney Gregory Nicholls, campaigning in his native St Thomas constituency carries special significance. ‘While I’ve previously contested elections elsewhere, the experience of engaging with my home community remains unparalleled,’ Nicholls reflected. His campaign team reports vigorous momentum building across numerous neighborhoods through intensive grassroots mobilization.

Notably, attorney Tyra Trotman—among the youngest candidates nominated by major parties—has cultivated St Michael’s Central constituency connections for 19-20 months. She reported exceptionally warm receptions during door-to-door engagements, with many voters expressing enthusiasm about her potential to bring fresh perspective to representation. ‘There’s palpable excitement about potentially electing both the first female and youngest representative for this constituency,’ Trotman observed, highlighting how demographic diversity is energizing voter participation.

Across all campaigns, candidates described the democratic engagement process as both professionally humbling and profoundly exciting, particularly through intergenerational dialogues that are bringing younger voters into political participation while honoring community elders’ perspectives.

Barbados Attorney General Dale Marshall has issued a compelling call for enhanced regional legal cooperation during the opening of the two-day Pace Justice Second Attorneys-General Roundtable. Addressing Caribbean legal officials at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre on Thursday, Marshall emphasized that collective action is imperative for strengthening criminal justice frameworks across the region.

Marshall criticized historical insular approaches to legal challenges, asserting that shared criminal threats demand unified responses. ‘For too many years we have approached our challenges in an siloed manner, when in reality our common challenges require pooled efforts in intellect, processes and institutions,’ he stated.

The Attorney General revealed how Barbados has already successfully implemented regional legal models, avoiding costly trial-and-error approaches. Barbados’ Witness Protection Act, enacted last year, was directly informed by examining legislative frameworks from Jamaica and St. Vincent. Similarly, the nation’s anti-gang legislation incorporates elements from Jamaican and Trinidadian models.

Marshall highlighted concrete outcomes from previous regional collaborations, including Barbados’ recent adoption of plea-bargaining legislation and judge-alone trial provisions. These reforms have already modernized the island’s justice system, with judge-alone trials being utilized in significant cases despite requiring defendant opt-in.

The current roundtable focuses specifically on witness protection programs and anti-gang legislation, which Marshall identified as critical priorities for Barbados. He expressed particular optimism about advancing regional witness protection frameworks during the two-day session, noting that such cooperation enables territories to avoid ‘reinventing the wheel’ when proven legislative solutions already exist within the region.

In a strategic political move, Democratic Labour Party candidate Ryan Walters inaugurated his constituency office on Errol Barrow Day, accelerating his campaign timeline following the Prime Minister’s election announcement. The newly established headquarters at Free Hill’s Total Laundry building now serves as the operational base for what Walters characterizes as a community-focused effort to reclaim the St Michael North West constituency.

The office opening, originally scheduled for the coming weekend, was deliberately rescheduled to coincide with the national holiday, transforming the event into both a symbolic and practical commencement of the DLP’s electoral drive. Walters emphasized that this early activation demonstrates the party’s preparedness, noting that groundwork had been systematically developed over the preceding three months.

At the core of Walters’ strategy lies a commitment to direct voter engagement rather than grandiose promises. The native St Michael North West resident and financial executive outlined a straightforward approach centered on personal connectivity: ‘Our campaign will prioritize meeting previously uncontacted residents while strengthening relationships with those already familiar with our mission.’

Through extensive door-to-door interactions, Walters has identified pervasive constituent dissatisfaction regarding longstanding unresolved issues and perceived representation gaps. These concerns have directly informed the party’s completed manifesto, which Walters describes as fundamentally people-centric rather than policy-abstract.

Demographic considerations significantly shape the candidate’s platform, with over 50% of constituents aged 55 or older. This reality informs dual priorities: implementing enhanced elderly care provisions while creating advancement opportunities for younger residents to become ‘meaningful and productive citizens.’

When questioned about national political dynamics, Walters maintained his focus on local concerns, acknowledging voter awareness of ‘the pain inflicted by the BLP government over seven years’ while emphasizing solution-oriented messaging over criticism repetition.

The constituency represents a key battleground, having been held by the DLP for seven consecutive general elections until 2018, when BLP’s Neil Rowe secured the seat. Rowe is expected to defend his position, with Friends of Democracy candidate Ricardo Williams also entering the contest.

As Barbados approaches its February 11 general election, residents of St James North express broad acceptance of the early election call while using the campaign to advocate for community-specific improvements. Constituency interviews reveal a complex landscape where political support coexists with practical demands for enhanced infrastructure and social programs.

Multiple voters acknowledged Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s prerogative in scheduling the early poll, with Marcia Jordan-Shepherd of Douglin Road noting, ‘She is the prime minister and she did what she had to do.’ This sentiment was echoed by Anderson Worrell of The Whim, who suggested the early election reflected Mottley’s political confidence despite initial surprise among some voters.

The constituency’s current representative, Barbados Labour Party’s Chad Blackman, received significant praise for his accessible leadership style and tangible accomplishments. Jordan-Shepherd credited Blackman with road repairs and housing improvements, stating, ‘Since Mr. Blackman get in here, he done a lot.’ Elderly voter Grethal Smith of Rock Dundo highlighted Blackman’s responsiveness: ‘I can call Mr. Blackman anytime. He’s gonna turn up.’

However, residents articulated specific concerns requiring attention. Safety measures dominated requests, with Jordan-Shepherd advocating for road humps and better lighting near a children’s park. Worrell, managing a local cricket club, emphasized the need for dedicated sports facilities to prevent youth from playing road tennis in dangerous areas.

Infrastructure deficiencies emerged as another priority, with several residents noting that while some road patching had occurred, comprehensive repaving remained necessary. George Thornhill of Baird’s Road raised persistent flooding issues, noting his basement had been ‘washed out again’ during recent storms.

Social programs for different demographics featured prominently in voter requests. Elderly residents sought increased opportunities for socialization and activities, while younger constituents desired structured programs like evening classes in practical skills such as hair braiding and weaving.

Candidate Blackman framed his campaign within broader developmental objectives, stating, ‘This campaign is not just about the re-election of the party, but saying to the country, how do we now move forward in our development.’ He characterized constituency leadership as being ‘the chief servant’ while expressing confidence without complacency.

The constituency has maintained strong BLP affiliations for most of the past four decades, with Blackman continuing the party’s dominance following his 2025 by-election victory. He faces challenges from Democratic Labour Party’s Charles Worrell and Steffanie Williams of Friends of Democracy in the upcoming election.