DLP candidate for Christ Church South John Boyce (left), candidate for Christ Church East Central Ronald Jones (right), candidate for Christ Church West Central Stephen Lashley (second from left) and candidate for Christ Church West Verla DePeiza (second from right) after paying their deposits yesterday.
DISPLAYING their receipts after paying their deposits to the Treasury yesterday morning, four members of the Democratic Labour Party Christ Church team contesting the next General Election arrived together at the National Housing Corporation building and gave the assurance that they will make a clean sweep of the constituency come May 24.
Led by candidate for Christ Church South John Boyce, the team included candidate for Christ Church East Central Ronald Jones, candidate for Christ Church West Central Stephen Lashley, and candidate for Christ Church West Verla DePeiza. Noticeably absent was candidate for Christ Church East Central Dr. Denis Lowe who arrived an hour later, with Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and members of the St. Michael South zone.
Boyce told the media that the team is confident and focused about the task ahead. “We are going to continue to get out there with the people and to try to persuade our supporters and make sure we cover all of the areas that need to be covered in preparation for this important election on the 24th.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by Lashley, who noted that the DLP after ten years has a record to defend and a case to put to Barbados. “We feel we have been able to do quite a bit of work in resuscitating the economy. We are aware that there are issues. So we know we have to be able to explain to Barbadians what we have done and we will do that consistently throughout this election.
“We are very humbled by the kind of interactions and response we have been getting from people and we know Barbadians are level headed and we will ensure that we do what we have to do to convince Barbadians that we are deserving.” He said the campaign will be run on truth, facts and substance rather than flair and gimmicks.
Verla De Peiza, who was unsuccessful in the last general election, believes that representation is critical. “The constituents want to know that they have persons who will stick with them. This is a team that has been around since 2008. I joined them in 2013 and I am still here. We are working on behalf of the people of Christ Church. We will not let them go. We will not give up on Christ Church, we will keep working until we have all five Christ Church seats securely under the DLP so that we can give them the type of representation that they deserve.”
Jones, the Christ Church East Central incumbent said the DLP is aware that there is much more work to be done.
“We have been doing work and we will continue to do work. As Stephen [Lashley] has said we are not into the gimmickry. We are into solid delivery on behalf to the people of the five constituencies of Christ Church. We need to have a unification of Christ Church. Right now you have a slice of Christ Church in the arms of somebody else and we need to have our arms fully wrapped around Christ Church. In that embrace will be the whole notion of effective representation.
“Verla is part of this team and we will be working extremely hard to ensure that Verla brings home Christ Church West. The significant neglect of Christ Church West over the last almost 15 years… We are saying where there is darkness there must be light. Verla DePeiza will bring that light along with the other members of the Christ Church team. And the wider DLP to the people of Christ Church West. I know historically they have tended to stay in one direction but change is necessary especially change where you get effective level of representation,” he said.
(JH)