Freundel Stuart, the Prime Minister of Barbados, said that the nation will be moving towards becoming a republic, replacing The Queen with a President as Head of State.
“We cannot pat ourselves on the shoulder at having gone into independence; having de-colonised our politics; we cannot pat ourselves on the shoulders at having decolonized our jurisprudence by delinking from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and explain to anybody why we continue to have a monarchical system,” said Prime Minister Stuart.
“Therefore, the Right Excellent Errol Barrow decolonized the politics; Owen Arthur decolonized the jurisprudence, and Freundel Stuart is going to complete the process,” Stuart told supporters of the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) here on Sunday night.”
“We respect (the Queen) very highly as head of the Commonwealth and accept that she and all of her successors will continue to be at the apex of our political understanding. But in terms of Barbados’ constitutional status we have to move from a monarchical system to a republican form of government in the very near future,” the Prime Minister added. “A republican form of government stipulates that those who run the people’s affairs should be chosen directly or indirectly by the people themselves. We already do that. We have been doing that continuously since 1951 when we got universal adult suffrage.”
The Prime Minister has not specified a date at which this shift will take place, but has said that it will be “in the very near future”. This change will coincide with the 50th anniversary of Barbados’ independence in 2016. While Barbados will no longer recognise Her Majesty as their Head of State, it will still be a part of the Commonwealth.
Barbados is currently one of the 16 Commonwealth realms. Her Majesty is represented on the island by the Governor General. While she has not yet made an official comment, The Queen has always maintained that it is entirely up to the people of the realm whether to keep her as Head of State of not.
A spokesperson for the British Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I expect the approach will be consistent with self-determination, decisions around this being a matter for the people involved.”
At present, only three Caribbean countries have a President as the Head of State – Dominica, Guyana and Suriname. In 2012, the Jamaican prime minister, Portia Simpson Miller, considered replacing The Queen as Head of State. Perhaps because of a highly successful visit to the country by Prince Harry in the same year, the plans were not implemented.
Featured photo credit: 2005 Royal Visit: Queen Elizabeth II via photopin (license)
Barbados is a Banana Republic whose population is of African slave origins. Now the present leader wants like most Africans to be another potentate like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Now Freundel Stuart its wants to be a panjandrum like the rest of the people of the Caribbean! STUART slso wants to wear the clothesof a Comic!
No need to disrespect the slaves of African descent as it was the British colonizers that made them that way in the first place, this is exactly the sort of thing that causes pro-republican sentiment, as monarchist we should not alienate our allies, There are many in Barbados and throughout the Caribbean that are loyal to the Crown . Barbados will never become a republic, this is nothing more than a politician’s rhetoric, the people will never accept this
I hope your right.
Then watch it turn into a despot
nation
If the people choose, in a referendum, to become a republic then fair enough. But no PM or government has the right to just make the change so they can go down in history. It is a massive constitutional change and requires full popular consent.
I think the royals need to spend more time in the other realms. If the Queen has equal position as Queen of not only the UK, but Australia, Canada, NZ, Barbados etc then her and her family should spend an equal amount of time in these countries. I’m not suggesting the Queen at her current age be doing that amount of traveling, but she has a large family that should be doing this stuff. Also Prince Charles going to the U.S. On behalf of the UK is the same matter. Why not represent a few other countries as well? As an Aussie we love our Queen and the royals, but we’re always so close to a republic because we only see them in our newspapers
I think Her Majesty The Queen must be a Head of State of Barbados Country. There is no proof that the Republican system make the people prosperous and life in peace. There are many good things that the Queen has been done for her commonwealth realms for a long time.
The Loyalists of the Republic do not know much more about to form the best government for the people, they should not make a faster decision.
The politicians whatever it is, always being a troublemaker to fulfill their ambitions for power.
They will miss her visits or those of her children! When William and his family tour, this country will not be on the list.