Republicanism in Barbados
On 30 November 2021, Barbados transitioned from a parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the hereditary monarch of Barbados (Queen Elizabeth II) to a parliamentary republic with a ceremonial indirectly elected president as head of state.[1] The prime minister remained head of government while the last governor-general, Dame Sandra Mason, was elected as the country's first president on 20 October 2021, and took office on 30 November 2021.[2]
Public opinion and reactions[edit]
In the 1990s several judicial rulings by the judges of the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council seeking to curtail[1] the practice of death penalty in the Caribbean despite substantial support for it[2] lead to calls by some indicating that if breaking ties with the United Kingdom was needed to carry out capital punishment as a form a justice it was the path the country (or region) needed to take.[3][4][5] Subsequent meetings were held at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government level calling for the need to replace the Judicial Committee of the British Privy Council and widened debate on other aspects of ties leading calls of a Caribbean Court of Justice in the region.[6]
In 2020, a source from the Barbadian foreign ministry said, "We love the Queen and the royal family and have no qualms with them. But we must learn to govern ourselves. Quite a few of the royal family have been to Barbados and will always be welcome. Our quest to become a republic is borne out of the fact that we need to get in line with the 21st century".[39]
Sir Garfield Sobers, Barbadian national hero and former cricketer, criticised the government's decision to become a republic, and said, "The Queen was very highly appreciated here. It will be very sad for a lot of us. It was a bit of a shock".[40] Other citizens questioned the need for change.[41]
Leader of the opposition, Joseph Atherley, criticised the timing of the transition,[42] while Grenville Phillips II, the leader of Solutions Barbados, opposed the move as it was without the express consent of the people of Barbados and promised a referendum if they gained power.[43] British television personality, Jeremy Clarkson, commented that the change marked a shift of influence in Barbadian affairs from the United Kingdom to China.[44]
In Canada, a constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm, Members of Parliament belonging to the Conservative Party sang Canada's royal anthem, "God Save the Queen", in parliament on 1 December 2021, while rejecting a Bloc Québécois motion to congratulate Barbados on "renouncing the British monarchy".[45][46]
A 2021 survey taken by the University of the West Indies between 23 October and 10 November asked a sample of 500 Barbadians from various backgrounds their opinions following the transition and reported some measure of support, albeit with only 34% showing outright support and 35% indifferent/did not care. When asked specifically on how they feel about having their own president or head of state, 51% responded they wanted an elected or selected head or president in the country while 12% responded with wanting to retain the Queen. There was overall a neutral feeling towards how the transition will impact Barbados with 66% responding neutrally and 21% responding that it will have a positive impact. Across the age groups, support for a republic was strongest in those over age 55.[47][48]
On June 20, 2022, a Constitutional Review Commission was formed and sworn in by Acting President Jeffrey Gibson (as President Mason was on a foreign trip), to begin the process of drafting a new constitution for the republican era of Barbados.[49] It is currently projected that the new constitution would be finished drafted by the end of 2024 with an 18-month deadline. The 10 members of this commission included: