Turmoil in Democratic Labour Party as Ralph Thorne Denounces Internal Strife and Controversial Motion

Turmoil in the opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) showed no sign of abating as the week began, despite political leader Ralph Thorne’s plaintive cry: “Fellows behave nuh, what yuh doing that for?” – breaking his silence on a controversial no-confidence motion he appeared to endorse against party leader Dr Ronnie Yearwood and general secretary Steve Blackett.

While insisting that he would not publicly air the party’s “dirty linen” before the crowd gathered at the St Christopher Primary School on Sunday night, Thorne denounced the internal wrangling but made clear he would have his full say on the matter before the party’s Executive Council.

“I will go to the councils, the inner councils of the Democratic Labour Party, and I will speak the truth in your presence; the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” he said to loud applause just before he saluted Hartley Reid, the veteran party member who filed the motion last Wednesday.

The motion, which the Executive Council deemed flawed and in need of further investigation, raised concern that Thorne did not receive an invitation sent by Saint Lucia’s opposition United Worker Party (UWP) for him to attend the party’s 60th-anniversary celebration. Yearwood, who received the second invitation from the UWP, led a DLP team to the event.

Blackett has maintained that Thorne’s invitation was dispatched to him immediately.

Thorne on Sunday endorsed Reid’s action, saying while he had no prior knowledge of the move, the veteran party member did nothing wrong.

“I did not consult with you last week, nor did you consult with me, but I want to congratulate you for courage and I have not come here to disavow Hartley. Hartley exercised his democratic right. He has exercised the democratic right of a long-standing member of this great Democratic Labour Party…. You have done what the rules permit you so to do.

“And whether I would have done it differently or not, it has been done. You have broken no law, you have broken no protocol, you have done nothing of which you should be ashamed, and I’m proud of you.”

Thorne questioned why the party had failed to reach a place of peace and harmony, declaring he had not come with spite and vindictiveness.

“I have come into a situation, [where] the Constitution of the country calls me the Opposition Leader and if I come to the Democratic Labour Party, your constitution calls me the political leader. Behave nuh, behave. Let us get on with the people’s business,” he declared in a speech in which he noted that he had a 72-hour wait to be formally accepted as a member.

The Christ Church South MP who severed ties with the ruling Barbados Labour Party in February underscored that Barbadians were behind the DLP but it must move forward united.

His views were echoed by veteran party member Ronald Jones, a minister of education in the Freundel Stuart administration, who made clear that Thorne was his leader of choice.