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History beckons Mottley as Barbadians vote

Published:Thursday | May 24, 2018 | 12:00 AMJanet Silvera

Mia Amor Mottley is on a drive that could see her becoming Barbados’ first female Prime Minister, but the leader of the Barbados Labour Party Leader (BLP), says she is more consumed by her mission than her history-making potential.

In an exclusive interview with The Gleaner on Wednesday, following a pre-election rally at the Bay Street Esplanade, under the watchful eye of party founder the late Sir Grantley Adams, Mottley said there are 17 mission critical policies and actions which require immediate action, time and energy.

“As conscious as I am about the inspiration a win for me would be for women in this country, I don’t want to be consumed by that.”

She said after her victory in the polls now under way, she plans to have a full cabinet ready to run the country’s affair by Monday.

According to Mottley, by tomorrow, she expects to be sworn in as Prime Minister, along with the candidate for St Joseph, attorney-at-law, Dale Marshall, Q.C., who will be named Attorney General and Minister  of Legal Affairs.

Among her mission-critical initiatives are: Rebuilding the country’s foreign reserves to 15 weeks of import coverage; dealing with the debt choking the Barbados economy; bringing tax relief to overtaxed Bajans; reducing threats to the island’s financial services sector; helping people to live and pay their bills; protecting people’s health; fixing the sewage crisis on the island’s south coast; removing garbage piled up all over Barbados and putting public sector buses back on the roads.

With close friend and colleague, Allen Chastenet, Prime Minister of St Lucia, standing at her side, Mottley said she had a passion for regionalism.

“The Caribbean needs the passion of a Mia Mottley,” said Chastenet.

More than 130 candidates are vying for seats in the 30-seat Lower House, with the prospect of either a third term for the incumbent Democratic Labour Party (DLP) under Prime Minister Freundel Stuart; or the election Mottley’s BLP.

The United Progressive Party (UPP) under Lynette Eastmond, the Solutions Barbados Party under Grenville Phillips and the Barbados Integrity Movement (BIM), under Neil Holder are also in the mix.

Janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

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