BARBADOS OPPOSITION BOYCOTTS PARLIAMENT

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001539

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA/CAR FOR DEPIRRO
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL BB XL
SUBJECT: BARBADOS OPPOSITION BOYCOTTS PARLIAMENT

REF: BRIDGETOWN 1483


1. (U) Summary: On December 12, the Barbados opposition
Democratic Labour Party (DLP) launched its most aggressive
attack yet against the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP).
The DLP announced an indefinite boycott of both houses of
Parliament, protesting both the ruling Barbados Labour
Party's (BLP) refusal to debate a no-confidence motion
against a junior minister for alleged corruption, as well as
more recent comments made by the Speaker of the House, who
promised a "standing order" to keep the opposition leader out
of parliament. This exchange of barbs is the latest
installment of an election that, in an issue-light
environment, is likely to take on increasingly melodramatic
airs. End Summary.

DLP: Sticks and Stones
--------------


2. (U) In what resembled a disfunctional family Thanksgiving,
the DLP opposition leader David Thompson walked out on
Parliament when the BLP recessed the debate on one of the
DLP's biggest campaign issues: government corruption. After
the Speaker of the House aggressively expressed his criticism
of Thompson and promised to ban him from Parliament, the DLP
responded with a boycott. DLP General Secretary, Chris
Sinclair, told Econoff that until they receive an apology
from the Speaker, the BLP will not return to Parliament. If
they decide to return, Sinclair admitted, it will be in
January. Thompson told the press on December 12 that the
DLP will instead "take its message to the street until the
Government starts to take Parliament seriously again, or
alternatively, there is a change of government." Considering
the fact that government goes into a holiday recess in just
one week, the DLP's boycott is not likely to have a
significant impact on governance.

BLP: Out of the Ashes
--------------


3. (U) BLP Deputy Prime Minister Mia Mottley's response to
the DLP boycott was nothing short of a daytime soap drama,
first accusing Thompson of "pulling down the institutions of
this country," then praising her own party for "rescuing,
rebuilding and refreshing Barbados" and launching it into a
new era of social and economic progress, which if left in the
hands of the DLP, would have catastrophic consequences.
(Note: Emboff's effort to talk or meet with a BLP
representative on the topic of elections was in vain, which
has become commonplace with the current government. End
note.)

Opportunity Knocks for Third Political Party
--------------


4. (U) Resembling "Nader-esque" tactics, People's Empowerment
Party (PEP) leader David Comissiong wrote an Op-Ed that
decried, "if the Barbadian people ever had any doubts about
the need for a third political party, the current boycott of
Parliament should have removed any such doubts." Comissiong
attacked both parties' leadership, particularly the DLP's
boycott and the BLP's eagerness to quickly sign an Economic
Partnership Agreement with the European Union, both issues
which according to Commisiong are "detracting from the
critical issues that are seriously affecting the masses." So
far, the PEP has provided no political party platform other
than its scathing criticism of both the DLP and BLP, and the
occasional jab at the U.S. Embassy.

Comment
--------------


5. (SBU) Over the past three weeks, the DLP's primary
strategy was to create a catastrophic scenario where the BLP
is robbing Barbadians of their social and economic
well-being. The latest DLP attacks are putting the BLP on
the defensive and forcing it to respond to accusations of
leading the country from bad to worse. However, with DPM
Mottley acting as the BLP's spokesperson, PM Owen Arthur has
been able to keep himself above the fray and make Thompson
appear as though he is instead campaigning for Mottley's job.
On the whole, Barbados is enjoying economic growth and
facing a prosperous future. In such an issue-free
atmosphere, both campaigns have had to content themselves
with making mountains out of molehills - for the government;
this has meant carefully timing project openings and
arbitrary cuts in consumer prices, while for the opposition
it has meant trying to manufacture an illusion of impending
democratic and financial breakdown.
OURISMAN