Vernon Daley

Last week's election in Barbados has brought yet another change of government in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). David Thompson, the golden child of Barbadian politics, has finally got the job of Prime Minister after preparing almost all his adult life for the role.

Errol Barrow, the father of the nation, can rest comfortably in the grave now that his protégé has fulfilled the dream.

The message of change dished out by Thompson's Democratic Labour Party (DLP) handed it a decisive victory at the polls. The DLP picked up 20 seats while the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) took 10. It wasn't so close after all, as some of the political analysts and pollsters had suggested.

In fact, the Cave Hill Associates Polling Organisation (Chapo) and Professor Ian Boxill of the University of the West Indies, Mona, have egg all over their faces. Their poll said that the election would be very keenly fought with the BLP having the edge to secure its fourth straight hold on power. They were very wide of the mark, indeed.

Former Prime Minister Owen Arthur was a giant in defeat. The electorate had denied him another term in office but he displayed, in his concession, a magnanimity that our leaders here would do well to emulate. Arthur has since given up the leadership of the BLP to his deputy, Mia Mottley. She is gifted with an extraordinary intellect and will doubtless bring much to the table in terms of local and regional politics.

New heads

Speaking of regional politics, CARI-COM now has a number of new heads, resulting from the winds of change blowing through the Caribbean. The fresh faces include Stephenson King of St. Lucia; Hubert Ingraham of the Bahamas; our own Bruce Golding; and now, Thompson of Barbados.

Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister Patrick Manning remains in the CARICOM fold, having been spared the political noose. The question now on the lips of regional analysts is whether there will be change in Belize and Grenada which hold elections later this year.

Huge implications

This 'wholesale' change in CARICOM has huge implications for the entire region. The new leaders are taking over at a time when there are major issues confronting the community, such as the completion of work on the Caribbean Single Market and Economy and the recent signing of an Economic Partnership Agreement with Europe to replace the old preferential arrangements that have existed these past many years.

The learning curve for these new kids on the block is clearly very short. This underscores a point I have been making in this column over time - that is, the need for Leaders of the Opposition across the community to be more involved in discussions, if not decision-making, regarding major regional issues.

Opposition Leaders are Prime Ministers-in-waiting. Having them take part in shaping critical issues lessens the on-the-job learning when they assume power.

CARICOM has experimented with the idea of involving Opposition Leaders in the annual summit of Heads but the initiative seems to have been allowed to die. Prime Minister Golding was one of those who participated in the experiment as an Opposition Leader, so we can only hope that he will see the need to push for its re-activation.

The principle of involving the Opposition is no less important at the local level. Despite the cynicism that understandably surrounds our local politics, I still think the so-called Vale Royal talks represent a very important initiative in governance.