A fixed date for General Elections and no privatisation of the Transportation Board were among the proposals put forward by the Friends of Democracy during its presentation of candidates and manifesto meeting on Sunday night.
The party, a breakaway from the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), has been styling itself as the next Opposition. It is campaigning as the party to keep the Barbados Labour Party, which has been ruling the country since 2018 when it ousted the DLP, on its toes.
“You need an opposition and the lies that are being told is to put in your mind the idea that this party cannot represent and it is a lie,” said president Karina Goodridge in the parade of party’s 12 candidates in the car park of Howard’s Supermarket, Bank Hall, St Michael.
She said it was insulting to find out about the privatisation of the Transport Board through a leaked letter.
In objecting to such a proposal, she said there should have been consultations and discussion on it.
“We are Barbadians and we know that years ago we had to deal with the whole privatisation issue. Transport Board emerged and here you have elderly people who can get on the bus and pay an affordable price or they can show their ID. You can assure yourself that if the Transport Board is privatised, that there is a high possibility that the prices will go up,” she said.
“That would lead to the question of by how much would the fares increase, because we do not know, and the Friends of Democracy stands against the privatisation of the Transport Board.
“There are some routes that if those routes are not lucrative to the drivers and the owners of those buses, the buses will not go to those areas. So, I am here to tell you the truth. If it is privatised, the prices can go up and the businesses always want to make sure that they have a profit.
“Barbados, I want you to rise up and know your rights and know what is best suited for your needs,” Goodridge said.
Reminding citizens that as taxpayers they were entitled to know how their money was being spent, she singled out the country’s hosting of last year’s regional festival CARIFESTA for scrutiny.
“We come out here and you hear us talking about CARIFESTA over and over. We’re not doing it to bad talk any government. We are doing it because we understand the rule of law in this country. We understand the rights of the citizens, and when you go to work, you understand that you have to pay taxes. So, if there’s a big event or celebration in this nation, you need to know what was budgeted, what was spent,” the Friends of Democracy president said.
Goodridge told the gathering that the country was in election mode for the February 11 poll but since September the public was waiting to hear the cost of CARIFESTA.
“Barbados, that is not good enough. You should always know because you the taxpayers have to pay the taxes. It is not me by myself. Each and every one of you are the ones who have to pay the bills.
“That is why I will advocate also that with all the discrepancies that have been going on and all the complaints from the people of the nation concerning not being prepared for the elections, that Barbados should ensure that it has fixed term elections.
“I hope that you will celebrate that, because if you have a Government that is doing what it should do, they don’t have to have no political advantage by calling an election early. Everyone will be prepared,” she said.
(AC)
