Acting PM affirms support to gov't

BRIDGETOWN (CMC):

Acting Prime Minister Ronald Jones says Prime Minister Freundel Stuart enjoys his "full confidence and unqualified support" and has distanced himself from media reports of challenges facing the head of the Barbados government.

Jones, who is also minister of education and human resource development, and the minister of agriculture, Dr David Estwick, are the latest government legislators who have publicly spoken out on the issue.

They join Finance Minister Chris Sinckler and Minister of Commerce Denis Kellman, who have already denied the reports in the DAILY NATION newspaper of the need for an urgent meeting with Stuart, who came to office following the death of then Prime Minister David Thompson in October last year.

Kellman Monday said he had no intention of committing "political suicide".

In a statement, Jones said that not only is he a supporter of Prime Minister Stuart, but he "enjoys my full confidence and unqualified support.

"He has also demonstrated his utmost confidence in me," he added, noting that like Estwick, the matter had been referred to their lawyers.

But the DAILY NATION said while it would continue to publish all denials, it would hold on to "the letter written on behalf of eight ministers and three backbenchers" of the ruling Democratic Labour Party on the issue.

"Against the backdrop of growing concern among supporters of the Government and our party, with respect to perceived weaknesses in our leadership of the country, and a sense of drift and inertia arising therefrom, we the undersigned elected members of the Parliamentary Group seek an urgent audience with you to discuss matters of grave concern to us, as well as to chart a path forward for the retention of our party in Government," the newspaper said the group members said in their letter.