Press Statement

Statement by the Hon. Mia Amor Mottley Q.C., M.P. Leader of Opposition, Political Leader, Barbados Labour Party in response to Prime Minister Freundel Stuart’s “Against the Odds” Speech

At the Democratic Labour Party meeting on Sunday night, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart made a wishy-washy attempt to defend his Government’s dismal record by declaring that his hands were tied by debt he inherited from the BLP Administration.

His comments were for the most part inaccurate and misleading. It is clear that the Prime Minister’s memory is slipping.

Dodd’s Prison is a rarity in Government contracts in this country. Not only did it come in on time, but it was under budget.

The Prime Minister knows the Government got back $10 million from the agreed contract price to build Dodds. Mr. Stuart was the Attorney-General when the Ministry received almost $4 million dollars in a cheque back from the contractor.  Further, the Ministry had also received the benefit of another $6 million from the Contractor, which the Ministry had previously  authorized for the re-construction of Summervale and other works at Dodds. That the PM would raise the red herring of rebuilding the 19th Century constructed Glendairy where sanitary facilities consisted largely of a bucket in grossly overcrowded cells is both unbelievable and unconscionable.

With respect to the handling of the Barack case, it is the Democratic Labour Party Government that has incurred almost $30 million in interest over 8 to 9 years by its failure to honour a judgment of the courts. It could have dealt with this expeditiously as it has clearly done with other matters.

Finally, Kensington Oval was over 70 years old when the Government took the decision to acquire and rebuild this national landmark. It was done to facilitate a global event that showcased Barbados to the world. This is the home ground of the greatest cricketer that ever lived, the Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers, the lone surviving National Hero.  It is also the home ground of many other world famous Barbadian cricketers. To suggest that Kensington Oval should have been abandoned and left to become a derelict ruin must have been for all Barbadians and true lovers of cricket globally the unkindest cut of all.

The Democratic Labour Party Government has done nothing to advance Kensington’s revenue earning capacity in the international sports arena.  In fact, as recently as the end of last year his Government declined to sign a letter of comfort that would have brought the Women’s Cricket World Cup T20 to Kensington Oval. Instead, the Prime Minister is comfortable boasting about its prowess as a venue for DLP political events.

No amount of pleading and muddying of the waters by the Prime Minister at this eleventh hour will convince Barbadians that the present Democratic Labour Party Government is not the most inept and incompetent administration we have had to endure since Independence and possibly since modern settlement.

Freundel Stuart has zapped Barbadians of their pride. The people of Barbados want to have a say in all of this. The Prime Minister must stop fiddling and , like Dr. Keith Mitchell in Grenada, give Barbadians what they want.

29th January, 2018