DLP Internal Power Struggle Reaches Court: Fate of President and General Secretary at Stake

The internal battle that has plagued the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) in recent weeks is heading to the law courts this morning.

The country’s judiciary will now decide the party’s fate as it relates to two key roles: the president and the general secretary.

This follows the actions of party member Ricardo Laker Williams who filed a certificate of urgency in the Supreme Court. The legal document, originating from The Bovell Law Office, names: Pedro Shepherd as the first respondent, Andre Worrell as the second respondent and the Democratic Labour Party as the third respondent.

Williams, the former St Michael West candidate in the 2022 election, is seeking to have Dr. Ronnie Yearwood and Steve Blackett resume their respective posts as president and general secretary.

The matter will be heard by Justice Barbara Cooke-Alleyne.

Not only were legal documents served to Shepherd and Worrell, but Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne revealed that both were questioned by police on Friday as well.

Speaking at a zone meeting in St Michael South Central on Sunday night the party’s political leader Thorne said he too would be heading to court to answer on behalf of the third respondent: the DLP.

“I am going to court tomorrow [today]. I have a duty as a political leader to be there. I must be there. This will be a journey of solidarity. I cannot reside in any luxurious cocoon of silence while the Democratic Labour Party is under attack. I describe them as two heroes: the acting president Mr. Andre Worrell and the acting general secretary Mr. Pedro Shepherd. There was a third respondent, the Democratic Labour Party.

“So, how can your political leader defend his silence when these two patriots are called to answer? Must we leave them alone to answer? Will we join them in answering? A few days earlier they were answering questions asked by members of the Barbados Police Service.

He continued: “As political leader of this party I have responsibility, silence cannot be justified. What kind of leader am I when the acting president and acting general secretary are in a police station sacrificing their freedom for this party and then served documents?

Thorne urged the packed St Michael School hall, those standing outside and watching online to come to the Supreme Court today and show their support for comrades Shepherd and Worrell.

“They did not abandon this party in its darkest moments. They stood up for this party and we will stand up for you and with you”, he told party faithfuls.

Telling the highly-charged crowd that we go to the court not to disrupt the proceedings, but to show support for DLP comrades, Thorne said: “We will allow the court to do what it must do.”

The infighting became public on Wednesday, April 10 when party stalwart Hartley Reid filed a no-confidence motion against DLP president Yearwood.

Then, at a members meeting on Sunday, April 21, Blackett told the media he had filed a resolution to have DLP political leader Thorne expelled from the party.

At a General Council meeting held on Thursday, May 9 it was unanimously agreed, among close to 50 members, that Blackett be suspended from his role as general secretary. It was a turn of events as it was expected that the general council would be reviewing the motion, brought by Blackett, to have Thorne expelled. It was then that Shepherd was named acting general secretary.

Exactly a week later, on Thursday, May 16, the General Council met again and this time voted to have Dr. Yearwood suspended. It was also on that occasion that Blackett told the media that the party offices were broken into.

Since then, Blackett wrote a letter to the executive council threatening to resign if there was no public show of support for him. The executive council published a statement on the party’s social media pages pledging support for Yearwood and Blackett and calling for unity in the party while the general council issued a statement insisting the suspensions imposed on the two were being upheld. (IMC)