Barbados Today

A senior Government minister is today accusing the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) administration of leaking its own draft manifesto.

Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth Stephen Lashley made the claim as he delivered the weekly Astor B Watts Democratic Labour Party (DLP) lunchtime lecture at the party’s George Street headquarters on Friday.

Lashley, who said he promised himself not to read the manifesto or talk too much about it, cried shame on the BLP for accusing the Freundel Stuart-led DLP of not operating with transparency and integrity, while suggesting that it had leaked its own manifesto and then act surprised.

“Everybody knows that they leaked their own manifesto, and that is what it is. I mean, you leaked your own manifesto and then you go out and tell the people that somebody else leaked it? That is the stage at which politics has now gone?” Lashley asked.

“You arrange to leak your own manifesto . . . and you accusing the Government of not practising transparency when it comes to public office,” said Lashley, while promising to put Opposition BLP Leader Mia Mottley “in her place” in coming weeks as the election campaign heats up.

The BLP’s 52-page draft manifesto document, a copy of which has been obtained by Barbados TODAY, outlines a number of measure that would be taken should that party be elected following the highly anticipated general elections due here by June.

Under the heading ‘People have Power’, commitments were made for consultations on parliamentary reform, including a fixed election date and the right of the people to recall representatives whose performance is deemed unsatisfactory.

Among the written promises was the pledge to give citizens more say in the laws that govern them through the “practice of national referenda and people initiatives starting with a national vote on decriminalization of marijuana.

The draft also contains proposals to fix the island’s ailing economy, as well as many of the island’s infrastructure, and initiatives for the vulnerable and a range of industries, including agriculture, transportation, entertainment, education and health.