…rests in the hands of these two talented politicians.
In 2018, when Gaston Browne led the Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) to a 15-1 victory, it confirmed its position as the majority party in Antigua. With Trevor Walker leading the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) to a clean sweep of available seats on the Council, in the 2021 elections, it confirmed its position as the majority party in Barbuda. So, what next?
MP Trevor Walker seems to believe the results of the 2021 Council Elections suggest a majority of Barbudans, are upset with the treatment of Barbuda by the central government.
PM Gaston Browne seems unphased by his party’s defeat, believing that the strategy of large-scale development and initiatives to move from communal to freehold land rights will be vindicated.
The Barbuda People’s Movement appears to have a different vision of development. A preference for communal land rights; small boutique (niche-type) economic activities; living off the land and sea; minimum population growth; preserving traditional Barbudan values.
Conversely, it appears the ABLP believes:
· Tradeable land ownership, gives Barbudans and other investors equity, powering growth.
· New areas for immediate impact being: banking, insurance, and construction.
· Under-written losses from disasters would be covered by the insurance sector.
· That commercial land tenure will drive expansion in GDP; increasing the island’s input to The Consolidated Fund; boosting Barbuda’s recurrent and capital receipts.
Given the way the world works, both these positions have very strong merits. Communal land rights can co-exist with leasehold and freehold rights in Barbuda. Indications are it does on every continent and in many regions around the World. For that to happen in Barbuda, PM Brown and MP Walker must commit their undisputed political talents to honing the well-developed state-craft of negotiation and compromise. After all, isn’t “politics the art of the possible?”
There are no good reasons why a negotiated land-use policy for Barbuda, cannot achieve mutually acceptable zoning. Producing an arrangement that protects the communal land rights of Barbudans, while advancing opportunities for modern economic activities.
Done right, such an arrangement could drive development at scales which earn sufficient revenue to fund Barbuda’s recurrent and capital requirements; while protecting the traditional values of Barbudans.
A just and equitable arrangement on the basis of “one island, two systems” may even achieve surplus as reserves to fund the management of major natural disasters.
When it comes to issues involving communal land rights, national governments should be wary of opting for settlement by the judicial route. Indications are, there are more than 100 countries in which communal land rights issues are of public interest. The further up the judicial food-chain these disputes climb, the more likely judges (in the Commonwealth Jurisprudence) will see arguments between national governments and aggrieved communities as human rights cases. Often, the human rights of aggrieved: Individuals, groups, or communities overwhelm the arguments of national authorities.
Further, indications are, recognition of communal holdings in the official land register is gaining in ascendency around the World. In Barbuda, zoning for private commercial development, in exchange for communal registration of the rest may be too big a carrot, for Mr. Walker to resist.
Walk good until next time
Arvel Grant, Political & Current Affairs Analyst