BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Less than a week after he left the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) government, King Counsel, Ralph Thorne, has taken over the leadership of the main opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
Dr. Ronnie Yearwood and Ralph Thorne in show of unity as DLP looks forward to governing Barbados in the near fuutureIn a joint statement with the outgoing DLP president and leader, Dr Ronnie Yearwood, the two men said that party is thanking Barbadians both here and in the diaspora for their “outpouring of support.
“We as a party needed to ensure our internal processing of welcoming our new Political Leader Ralph Thorne was done correctly and with the greatest care. We wish to greatly thank Barbadians for their kindness and patience at this time. We have seen that this country desires better, and truly deserves better.”
The DLP said that Thorne, the Member of Parliament for Christ Church South, the current Opposition Leader “was successfully voted to be a member of the Democratic Labour Party, and is now our Political Leader.
“This is indeed a great moment for the party and Barbados as we now bring together the strengths, expertise and capacities of both Dr Ronnie Yearwood and Mr Ralph Thorne, K.C,” the party said.
It said that Yearwood remains president and DLP “who will manage and develop critical needs within the party to ready this great institution for when next the bell is rung.
“While Mr. Thorne K.C., well known as a legal luminary in Barbados and the Caribbean, can help change the trajectory of Barbados, takes the reins of the DLP in Parliament as political leader.
Yearwood was voted as president/party leader in August last year and the party said “with his wealth of experience both as a legal mind and in academia, will continue the pivotal role of rebuilding the DLP”.
The two men said that “this is also a significant time for the membership of the party, both the young and the experienced, to come together, with an even stronger bond and force to represent and bring social justice for Barbadians”.
The DLP was suffered humiliating defeats in the last two general elections, failing to win any of the 30 seats in the Parliament.
The DLP thanked “Thorne for his courage to be the bravest among the 30, adding “leadership of political parties in this modern age requires a great amount of strength, integrity and authenticity, which can easily be lost in such a fast moving space, but the Democratic Labour Party can embrace these qualities with the leadership of these two men”.
CMC/af/ir/2024
