BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – “I am at a loss to discover why Glenroy Blanchette would want to form a party at this time. What is the purpose of forming a party if he is agreeing with what the incumbent is doing?”
This is the question that was posed by educator and historian Washington ‘Washie’ Archibald during a recent exclusive interview with this publication concerning the announced formation of the National Integrity Party (NIP) of which Blanchette is the leader.
Archibald explained that following the 2010 General Elections, he had approached Blanchette with a view of forming a political party then, so as to give the electorate time to digest the idea of a new choice.
He said Blanchette responded in the negative and indicated that he had his eyes transfixed on other goals.
“I was his big supporter in the 2010 Election. I wasn’t happy at all with what the PAM people had done to him and I gave him my total backing. I thought that he had promise as a political leader, and so in 2011 I hinted to him that he should form a party, that early o’clock just after the election. I told him to get moving with a political party so that the people could have a choice and he told me quite frankly that he is not interested in any further political activity. He was interested in organising a magazine and paying off his debt; the debt which the PAM people help to put him into. So I just took it as that is what he was wishing to do.”
According to Archibald’s understanding, new political parties are formed with the purpose of unseating the present administration or, at the very least, highlight the flaws in its ideologies and policies.
The historian however explained that with Blanchette agreeing with the government’s programmes, it causes a cloud of mystery to hover over the NIP’s formation.
“Three years later you hear he is forming a political party. And I am even more dumbfounded to find out that in forming this political party he is agreeing with what Dr. Douglas is doing…He is in total agreement with the SIDF with minor concern, and he is in disagreement with what the Opposition is doing. That is a strange way to be forming a party to contest an election, because if you are contesting an election you are doing it against the incumbent government.
“But if you are in full support of the incumbent government and you are at loggerheads with the opposition party and you are at loggerheads with the concept of a unity government, how on earth could you be facing the electorate? What would you tell them? I don’t understand. But to form a party and to come up with the kind of reasoning, the kind of rational for forming the party when you are supporting the government in office and you are opposing the principles of the opposition, I cannot understand the logic.”
A candid Archibald said just as he is confused over the NIP purpose, so would the electorate.
“I don’t think the public is going to entertain them, because just as I am confused I believe the public also would be confused. I am not supporting the notion that some people have that Dr. Douglas is paying him to do this…
“I believe what is happening is that there is a hangover of bitterness against the People’s Action Movement for the horrible way in which they treated him. And I empathise with him…and that wound is not something that I think he would be getting rid of soon. But I don’t think that forming a party that would clearly be in support of the incumbent party is a way for him to vent his understandable anger against the People’s Action Movement which will form a part of the Unity Government.”
