(Barbados Nation) A total of five ruling party Members of Parliament (MPs) have now responded publicly to Tuesday’s front page article in THE DAILY NATION that listed them among a group of 11 seeking an “urgent audience” with Prime Minister Freundel Stuart to discuss his leadership.
A letter, drafted on behalf of the group and addressed to the Prime Minister, said that the proposed meeting would also “chart a new path forward for the retention of our party in Government”.
However, immediately following publication of its contents, Acting Prime Minister Ronald Jones and Minister of Agriculture Dr David Estwick publicly declared: “Not me!”.
Minister of Family, Youth and Culture Stephen Lashley followed swiftly with his public response but was not prepared to say anything about the issue of a meeting.
St John MP, Mara Thompson, has also issued a letter through her attorney which does not give her position on the meeting but which “categorically and unreservedly denies that she signed any such letter addressed to the Prime Minister”.
Her letter also described THE NATION’s story as “mischievous, despicable, shameless, calculated to mislead the public of Barbados and to destabilize and create strife among members of the Democratic Labour Party”.
Her colleague, representative for St Michael West-Central, James Paul was also quoted in another section of the Press as saying that he had asked his lawyers to deal with the matter.
Who else will seek to proclaim: “Not me”?
THE NATION will continue to publish all denials while holding on to the letter written on behalf of eight ministers and three backbenchers.
