THURSDAY IS normally the day when regular weekly meetings of the Barbados cabinet of ministers take place. But the one carded for tomorrow is not expected to be normal by any political yardstick. Indeed, to judge from media reports this past weekend, it could well be the last for some of Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart’s 18-member cabinet before an expected imminent reshuffle.
As Barbadians become increasingly immersed in preparations for Christmas, the number one topic of discussion is: “Whose heads will roll” when the Prime Minister executes his threat to effectively deal with a claimed ‘rebel wing’ in his governing Democratic Labour Party (DLP) that has brought him public ridicule over ineffective leadership?
Stuart, who became Prime Minister of this current first-term DLP administration following the death of the party’s leader and Head of Government, David Thompson, in October last year, has been coming under increasing criticisms for his leadership style, both from within and outside the party.
But what proved most provocative for a required response was a draft letter bearing the names—but without signatures—of 11 of the 21 DLP parliamentarians, among them senior cabinet ministers.
At first the text seems reasonable in making a collective request for an “urgent audience” with the Prime Minister to discuss shared concerns among DLP members and supporters of the government. But the stinging bite came with the claim of “perceived weaknesses in our leadership of the country and a sense of drift and inertia arising therefrom…”
Missteps, or poor judgement in timing, resulted in the draft letter being leaked to Barbados’ largest circulating newspaper, “Sunday Sun”, before a sufficient number of those whose names were identified but not yet ready to sign for submission to the Prime Minister.
Controversial letter
What followed was a staggered flow of “not-me” claims by ministers, while the Editor-in-Chief, Kaymar Jordan, kept publishing denials and reaffirming preparedness to go public with the entire draft letter that included the names of all eleven. Prominently among them was the charismatic Finance Minister, Chris Sinckler, a former DLP General Secretary, who had previously been identified as a successor to the late David Thompson—even before the oath-taking of Stuart as new Prime Minister.
As recent developments occurred, while Sinckler was confirming in an interview with Jordan (subsequently published in this past Sunday Sun edition) the existence of the draft letter, and explaining the circumstances that brought it about, Prime Minister, Stuart was virtually reading a riot act to those who had gone public with their uncomplimentary claims about his leadership style.
Stuart was reported in a page-one lead story in the same edition of the ‘Sunday Sun’ as threatening “heads will roll…” whether or not there was an attempted coup”, while denying ever seeing the draft letter about the perceived negative leadership style.
Of immediate relevance, therefore, is whose “heads will roll” from Stuart’s cabinet, and how soon?
For his part, Finance Minister Sinckler has already emphasised two points of significance: First that the draft letter—with which he was admittedly involved, though NOT seeking to be Prime Minister—had focused on perceived leadership shortcomings of a collective and not any one individual.
Some, conscious, if not exactly anxious, of likely widening internal turmoil within the governing party, may cynically observe that this is an exercise by Sinckler in political semantics. Nevertheless, in the interest of accuracy, the text of the draft should be carefully noted, including by the local media commentators who have themselves been demeaning of Stuart’s leadership style, but now singing his praise and calling for firm action against the “rebels”.
The very first paragraph of the draft letter states: “Against the backdrop of growing concern among supporters of OUR (my emphasis) party, with respect to perceived weaknesses in OUR (my emphasis) leadership of the country and a sense of drift and inertia arising therefrom, we the undersigned elected members of the parliamentary group seek an urgent audience with you…”
Whatever the final  outcome—whether a seriously reshuffled cabinet to reflect Stuart’s evident anger and hurt, or worse—the serious political damage already to DLP administration with a general election a year away, may prove quite advantageous for the opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP).
Prime Minister Stuart, therefore, faces the difficult challenge of winning the battle (cabinet changes) and losing the ‘war’ (general election). He would be also aware that among those now urging him to go for the jugular in dealing with the so-called ‘rebels’, are ones who have been openly scoffing at his leadership of party and government.
He surely does have a very difficult row to hoe for the survival of his leadership and the SLP’s retention of state power at either a snap or scheduled general election.