PM Stuart defends his stewardship of Barbados ahead of general election

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Prime Minister Freundel Stuart defended the stewardship of his administration over the last five years, telling Barbadians that difficult situations had required “hard choices”.

Stuart, who is leading his Democratic Labour Party (DLP) into the general election tomorrow, said that the country has had to navigate a difficult global economic environment and that despite that, the policies of his administration were bearing fruit.

“The Democratic Labour Party has been open and transparent with you. Difficult times require hard choices. We are nearly out of the woods but we still have some work to do together,” Stuart said in a radio and television broadcast on Tuesday night.

He said he was urging the Barbadian voter to “reflect deeply on the promises glibly made against the clear realities facing Barbados.

“So that your vote and support cannot be bought with tempting goodies of short term duration. Understand the needs for sacrifices necessary to lay the foundation for your children and grandchildren,” Stuart added.

The DLP faces a strong challenge from the main opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) headed by attorney Mia Mottley for control of the 30 seat-Parliament in tomorrow’s general election.

In the 2013 election, the DLP won a two-seat majority and in the absence of public opinion polls being published here, political pundits have given the BLP a better than normal chance to win.

Mottley has already indicated that a BLP administration is prepared to hold talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to turn around the ailing economy.

But Stuart, 66, told his audience that the DLP is the better of the two parties to “complete this stage of the restructuring of our economy and our society” 52 years after the island attained political independence from Britain.

“The Democratic Labour Party will continue to make the tough and caring decisions that are needed for Barbados’ sustainability. We remain grounded in our philosophy even though being fully aware of financial realities.

“The road is not easy and we will not always get it right but we will always put the interest of Barbados first,” Stuart said, reiterating that “our plans are therefore reliant on skillful use of resources”,

Meanwhile, political analyst and the director of the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES), Peter Wickham, says whichever party emerges victorious in the general election, a move to the IMF would be a reality.

“The IMF conversation is one that is a peculiar one,” he said, noting that Barbadians are very much fearful of going to the Washington-based financial institution for assistance.

He said many Barbadians believe going to the IMF would result in a devaluation of the local currency which is pegged at two dollars to one US dollar.

“At the same time Grenada has been to the IMF and had a good experience. St. Kitts-Nevis has been to the IMF and had a good experience. The challenge for Barbados is that we are not going to the IMF when (former St Kitts-Nevis prime minister) Denzil Douglas went to them, or (Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister) Gaston Browne went to them….

“We are going to them at a point tin time when the horse has galloped and the situation is really bad. So the question is is it better to go to the IMF when you standing or on your knees and clearly now we are on our knees,” he added.