Who was charged for photographing their ballot? Who paid them: DLP or BLP?

File under “Disappearing news stories in Barbados”

by passin thru

Early afternoon on February 21, 2013 – Election Day – the news media in Barbados was full of stories of vote buying triggered by the arrest of a voter for using a cell phone to photograph their marked ballot. The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation called their original story “Arrested for photographing ballot” but that’s the last we heard of the arrest from the news media.

We see all sorts of news stories and editorials criticising the concept of vote buying, but no specifics with names and details of the event. It looks like the powers that be are allowing general stories about the practice but no specific proof can be shown the public. That’s because it is bad for business if the party that bought the vote is revealed. What if it’s the guvment? Woaloss!

You can still see the original CBC news because Barbados Free Press copied it into their own story Cash for votes scandal in Barbados election: BLP, DLP… or both? Good move, BFP!

Voters take photos of their ballot so they can prove how they marked their “X” to the person who is paying them for voting a certain way. It’s a crime because it totally destroys democracy. Some of the election contests are so close that only a few votes purchased can make the difference. This time around one of our Members of Parliament was elected by a mere 10 votes over the rival. A few more close contests like that and a few more votes bought and the BLP would be forming the government now… or maybe the votes were bought and the DLP bought more?

You see how destructive it all is?

Vote buying is destructive not only because it corruptly changes the results of democratic elections, but because it undermines public confidence in the democratic system, in our government and ultimately in our country.

We know one thing: a voter was arrested – but we were never told their name!

Will this be another one of those disappearing news stories that Barbados is so famous for? Patriotic Bajans of all political colours cannot, must not, let this happen!

Who was charged for photographing their ballot? What is their name?

When do they appear in court?

When can Bajans hear the evidence against them?

This is much too important for Bajans to let the news and the political parties let this story fade away. We can’t depend upon the news media or the political class.

Bajans should demand to know the truth.

Barbados vote buying scandal starts at the top with BLP and DLP leadership

“How did the two political parties, both claiming to be rather financially impoverished, raise a conservative estimate of over twenty million dollars to pour into a three week campaign?”

“Deals are commonplace and state agencies are used to distribute largesse.”

Submitted by the Mahogany Coconut Think Tank and Watchdog Group.

The Mahogany Coconut Group submits that the real vote buying is in the upper echelons of our society. What we witnessed on Election Day was some voters getting cash, cell phones, iPods and a bill paid here and there. The real votes were bought by those shadows – black and white – who Dr. Don Blackman referred to a few decades ago! Of course Dr. Blackman talked only about white shadows but the corporate landscape has dramatically changed over the years – we now have shadows of all colors and ethnicities.

While we shout from the roof tops about what took place on elections day, we bury our heads in the proverbial sand by refusing to ask one simple question: How did the two political parties, both claiming to be rather financially impoverished, raise a conservative estimate of over twenty million dollars to pour into a three week campaign?

We ask Dale Marshall (BLP) to tell us about the successful “cake sales and car washes” that raised their money.

We ask Ronald Jones (DLP) to tell us more about the “$500 here and there” that was given to his party by well wishers.

Let’s face it; elections are now big business and the corporate shadows are well entrenched in both the Barbados Labour Party and the Democratic Labour Party. Anybody who believes that car washes, cake sales and a five hundred dollar donation here and there, can raise this large amount of money, needs to seriously wake up from their slumber!

Barbados Election Results 2013

2:14am DLP – Democratic Labour Party retains government

DLP – 16 seats    BLP – 14 seats  * Recounts possible in some areas

Independent candidates a washout. Voters return the DLP/BLP single party government to office. More to come!

VERY CLOSE ELECTION – One contest decided by 10 votes!

We’ve already said that it doesn’t really matter who wins this election because with only two corrupt political parties to choose between: Bajans have already lost.

Obviously memories of the BLP’s legendary corruption under Owen Arthur are still in the public consciousness – while the realisation of DLP corruption has not quite sunk in.

We know where this election takes us…  Nowhere

Results by Constituency (Compiled February 22, 2013 at 2:30pm Bridgetown)

St. Peter

BLP – Owen Arthur WINNER (3665 votes)   DLP – Haynesley Benn (1982 votes)   NBKA – Lynroy Scantlebury (72 votes)

St. Michael South

DLP – Freundel Stuart WINNER (2524 votes)    BLP – Noel Lynch  (1385 votes)  PDC – Alex Mitchell (9 votes)

Mara Thompson wins David’s seat: Will she keep his Integrity Legislation promise?

Slaughter in St. John:  DLP 4,613 to BLP 553

The Barbados Labour Party’s sacrificial lamb Hudson Griffith worked hard but only managed to gather 10.7% of the 5166 votes cast in yesterday’s by-election. Griffith’s share of the vote was down from the 16% or so the BLP took in the January 2008 vote that saw the late David Thompson declared Prime Minister.

Voter turn out was eerily about the same as 2008 when 5129 voters made it to the polls.

In a normal mid or late term by-election the ruling party usually takes a hit because voters tend to use the occasion to send warnings to the government. That’s in a “usual” by-election but St. John was anything but due to the sympathy factor evoked because the candidate is the widow of a recently departed and personally well-liked Prime Minister.

Duguid’s “Politicians Into Greed” Party (PIG) the real winner

We at Barbados Free Press weren’t the first to observe that, other than personnel and shirt colours, real differences between the DLP and BLP are non-existent. Barbados has long only had one political party – the party of the elites with two branches: DLP and BLP. That’s why former PM David Thompson slammed then Prime Minister Owen Arthur for corruptly depositing “campaign funds” into his personal bank account, but then when Thompson became Prime Minister not one BLP thief was arrested or charged. It reminds us of sharks leaving one another alone out of professional courtesy.

Nothing illustrated this “one party of the elites” better than when serving Member of Parliament Dr. Duguid was caught saying that neither the DLP nor the BLP politicians would pass the Integrity Legislation promised by the DLP during the 2007 campaign.

Dr. Duguid was telling the truth because that Integrity Legislation and Freedom of Information Act disappeared faster than the fat BLP envelopes handed out in St. John yesterday.

Mara’s Choice

As the elected representative for St. John, Mara Thompson now has the opportunity to keep her husband’s promises about Integrity Legislation, FOI and a Ministerial Code of Conduct. The sad reality is that she has about as much chance of doing that as when then newly elected Prime Minister David Thompson informed his first Cabinet meeting that Conflict of Interest rules and a Ministerial Code would be declared that first day as promised. Thompson’s Cabinet rebelled and that was the end of that.

So… great little sideshow in St. John.

Unfortunately it didn’t change a thing.