IN BARBADOS AND GUYANA
IN this Christmas “season of goodwill” much political goodwill would be required for survival of current governments in Barbados and Guyana as they cope with different challenges: For the first,  ahead of new elections in a year’s time; the latter agonisingly adjusting to running a minority administration with the real likelihood of calling a snap poll in 2012.
In Barbados, where the current Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration is completing the fourth year of its first-five term, Prime Minister Freundel Stuart is facing a virtual open rebellion of a majority of his 21 parliamentary colleagues, among them eight ministers in a 19-member cabinet.   
As stated in a letter sent to the Prime Minister and leaked to the Barbados ‘Sunday Sun’ newspaper of December 11, the dissidents are claiming dissatisfaction with the leadership of Stuart who became Head of Government following the death last year of David Thompson who lost his battle with cancer.
The letter, which requested an urgent meeting with Stuart, pointed to strong fears of the DLP losing the next general election (due by  January 2013), owing to what the dissidents perceive as his “leadership weaknesses”, coupled with “a sense of drift and inertia arising therefrom…” 
Of significance, that the letter coincided with the release of a recent  opinion poll conducted by CADRES (Caribbean Development Research Services) that was also made available to the ‘Sunday Sun’. And, among the 11 MPs anxious to meet and discuss their concerns with PM Stuart, is the widow of Thompson,  Mara Thompson, who won a by-election to succeed him as parliamentary representative for the parish of St. John.
The likely replacement of Stuart, as being touted by the dissenting group of parliamentarians, is the flamboyant Finance Minister Chris Sinckler, but who claims not to be aware of any move to dislodge Stuart.
Unfazed PM ?
Prime Minister Stuart, who left Barbados on official business to New York at the weekend, and seemingly unfazed, had  told the local media on his return home last Friday from participating in the Fourth CARICOM-Cuba Summit  in Port-of-Spain, that  he was “not losing sleep” over criticisms of his leadership style.             
The current political leadership fiasco could only be to the advantage of the opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) of former three-term Prime Minister, Owen Arthur.
It has also refreshed memories of a similar scenario back in 1994 when DLP parliamentarians backed a successful no-confidence motion from the opposition BLP against the then government of Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford. 
Whatever accommodations or compromises  are made when an inevitable meeting of the Prime Minister and his dissident colleagues takes place,  it would be difficult to imagine business being as usual thereafter in  the Stuart-led administration—even with a good dose of political goodwill. 
And what  of Guyana? There are growing speculations that it could well be faced with fresh general elections by the latter half of next year, in view of emerging signs of a combined opposition using their one-seat parliamentary majority to frustrate governance by the incumbent Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC).
The PPPC, which won four successive five-year terms since the restoration of internationally supervised free and fair elections in October 1992, succeeded in retaining the Executive Presidency, with its enormous constitutional powers, for a fifth time, but failed, by one seat, to maintain a majority in the 65-member parliament. 
POLL VERDICT
The verdict of the electorate points to the necessity for the government and the opposition parties APNU and AFC (A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change),  to strive for consensus as much as possible and ensure a stable environment consistent with the rule of law.              
However, while Executive President Donald Ramotar, as well as the APNU and AFC leaderships have been offering some encouraging media statements, APNU has also opted to blend its gestures of “cooperation” with recurring picket and street protests, largely by its youth arm, which has now called for a boycott of  business enterprises that it claims to be “in bed” with the PPPC.             
This boycott threat has drawn a quick condemnation from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) which met on Monday, and again yesterday, with various representative stakeholders. And, for its part, the AFC presidential candidate for the November 28 presidential, parliamentary and regional elections, Khemraj Ramjattan, rejected this development.
He declared the boycott call as “wild” and contrary to the way forward for improved democratic governance and stability.               
Latest move by APNU (which is dominated by the old People’s National Congress that held power for 28 years and left Guyana as one of the world’s most highly indebted countries),  is a call by its leader, David Granger, retired Brigadier of the Guyana Defence Force, for the creation of a tripartite budget committee to help in the preparation of the national budget for 2012.              
The government is unlikely to be in a hurry to respond to this call, which came amid arrangements for the ceremonial convening of the 10th Guyana Parliament, expected by month end.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh was said to be at a cabinet meeting yesterday and could not be reached for a comment.             
One of the first tasks of the new parliament would be the election of a Speaker. There could well be an election of Speaker by consensus among the PPP/C, APNU and AFC. However, such political collaboration could prove quite elusive for the creation of a first-time tripartite budget committee and, consequently signal the beginning of some very difficult  governance challenges ahead for 2012.

While Executive President Donald Ramotar, as well as the APNU and AFC leadership have been offering some encouraging media statements, APNU has also opted to blend its gestures of “cooperation” with recurring picket and street protests, largely by its youth arm, which has now called for a boycott of  business enterprises that it claims to be “in bed” with the PPPC.    

This boycott threat has drawn a quick condemnation from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) which met on Monday, and again yesterday, with various representative stakeholders. And, for its part, the AFC presidential candidate for the November 28 presidential, parliamentary and regional elections, Khemraj Ramjattan, rejected this development. He declared the boycott call as “wild” and contrary to the way forward for improved democratic governance and stability.