Little England, as Barbados is typically known as, has mulled the concept of forming its personal republic because the 1970s, when a fee was fashioned to research its feasibility. On the time, the fee concluded there was not sufficient public help, however the thought continued to percolate.
It surfaced once more within the late-1990s, when one other fee beneficial that Barbados turn out to be a parliamentary republic. In 2005, the nation adopted a legislation to carry a referendum on the matter, although one was by no means held. In 2015, the then-prime minister, Freundel Stuart, set a objective of building a republic to coincide with the 50th anniversary of independence.
Ms. Mottley stated nothing about holding a referendum, sidestepping a vote that has thwarted a number of different republican actions. Specialists stated she in all probability has the mandate to push the change by with out one. Her Barbados Labour Social gathering gained all 30 seats in Parliament in elections in 2018, making her the nation’s unchallenged chief, along with its first feminine prime minister.
The federal government additionally introduced a plan to legalize same-sex civil unions, although it can put that to a well-liked vote.
In Jamaica, the republican motion has been gaining momentum for years. In 2012, a former prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller, stated the time had come to desert the queen as head of state. Her successor, Andrew Holness, made related feedback in 2016, although a referendum is unlikely quickly, given the nation’s have to recuperate from the coronavirus pandemic.
For all of the historic symbolism, response to the announcement in Barbados was muted. On social media, individuals famous that the nation already had its personal queen — the pop star Rihanna, who’s from Barbados.
