Democratic Labour Party (Barbados)
Encyclopedia
The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) is a political party in Barbados
, and currently the ruling party of the country. It is led by Freundel Stuart
.
. Once a member of the Barbados Labour Party
(BLP), Barrow broke away to form this more left-leaning alternative. However, as a result of this common origin, the two parties have been and remain ideologically similar. In the 1956 general elections
the party received 19.9% of the vote and won four seats. In the next elections
in 1961 it received fewer votes than the BLP, but won a majority of the seats in Parliament, with Barrow becoming Premier. After the party retained power in the 1966 elections (this time with a plurality of the vote), Barrow became the country's first Prime Minister. The party won a third successive election in 1971, but lost power to the BLP in 1976. They remained in opposition until victory in the 1986 elections, in which they won 24 of the 27 seats. They remained in power following the 1991 elections, but were defeated by the BLP in the 1994 elections. They returned to power again in 2008
.
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, and currently the ruling party of the country. It is led by Freundel Stuart
Freundel Stuart
Freundel Jerome Stuart QC MP is the seventh Prime Minister of Barbados. He succeeded David Thompson, who died on 23 October 2010 of pancreatic cancer. He is a member of the Democratic Labour Party .-Personal life and career:...
.
History
The DLP was founded in 1955 by Errol BarrowErrol Barrow
Errol Walton Barrow, PC, QC was a Caribbean statesman and the first Prime Minister of Barbados. Born into a family of political and civic activists in the parish of Saint Lucy and educated at Harrison College, his sister Dame Nita Barrow also became a social activist, humanitarian leader and later...
. Once a member of the Barbados Labour Party
Barbados Labour Party
The Barbados Labour Party is the main opposition party of Barbados. Led by Rt. Hon.Owen Arthur, the BLP holds 9 out of 30 seats in the House of Assembly as of January 2008...
(BLP), Barrow broke away to form this more left-leaning alternative. However, as a result of this common origin, the two parties have been and remain ideologically similar. In the 1956 general elections
Barbadian general election, 1956
General elections were held in Barbados on 7 December 1956. The result was a victory for the Barbados Labour Party, which won 15 of the 24 seats. Voter turnout was 60.3%.-Results:...
the party received 19.9% of the vote and won four seats. In the next elections
Barbadian general election, 1961
General elections were held in Barbados on 4 December 1961. Although the Barbados Labour Party received more votes, the result was a victory for the Democratic Labour Party, which won 14 of the 24 seats. Voter turnout was 61.3%.-Results:...
in 1961 it received fewer votes than the BLP, but won a majority of the seats in Parliament, with Barrow becoming Premier. After the party retained power in the 1966 elections (this time with a plurality of the vote), Barrow became the country's first Prime Minister. The party won a third successive election in 1971, but lost power to the BLP in 1976. They remained in opposition until victory in the 1986 elections, in which they won 24 of the 27 seats. They remained in power following the 1991 elections, but were defeated by the BLP in the 1994 elections. They returned to power again in 2008
Barbadian general election, 2008
A general election was held in Barbados on 15 January 2008. A concurrent referendum to determine whether or not to become a republic was initially planned but that vote was postponed....
.