7 months ago. Barbados

Barbados set to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, bury colonial past

#Barbados #QueenElizabethII #CaribbeanIsland

Barbados became independent in 1966.
Queen Elizabeth II remained the head of the state since then.
In 2020, Prime Minister Mia Mottley declared that the country would "fully" leave its colonial past.

Barbados is set to become a Monarch-free republic on November 30, on the occasion of the country’s 55th Independence Day, BBC reported. The word ‘royal’ will be removed from the names of institutions, and they will no longer bear the insignia of "Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II". Governor-General Dame Sandra Mason will replace Queen Elizabeth II as the first president of the Republic of Barbados.

Also Read: ‘Leaving colonial past behind’: Barbados to remove Queen Elizabeth as head of state

With this move, Barbados will end its over 400 years of British rule, which also included centuries of slavery and oppression by the British colonialists.

To mark the end of British rule, ceremonies will be held on Monday and Tuesday with Mason will be taking oath as the country’s president in the presence of Prince Charles.

Barbados became independent in 1966 after being governed by Britain for centuries. The latest development, which was initiated in 2020, made the population of 285,000 elated.

"As a young girl, when I heard about the queen, I would be really excited," said Sharon Bellamy-Thompson, 50, a fish vendor in the capital Bridgetown who remembers being about eight and seeing the monarch on a visit.

"As I grow older and older, I started to wonder what this queen really means for me and for my nation. It didn't make any sense," she said. "Having a female Barbadian president will be great,” she was quoted by AFP.

In October 2021, Barbados elected Dame Sandra Mason as its first president, after Prime Minister Mia Mottley declared in 2020 that the country would "fully" leave its colonial past.

Massive challenge awaits Mason

For Mason, there will be greater challenges to handle with the country facing economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, Barbados’ tourism industry incurred huge losses.

Unemployment is at nearly 16 per cent, up from nine per cent in recent years, despite sharply increased government borrowing to fund public sector projects and create jobs.

Also Read: US praises South Africa over Omicron handling in veiled jab at China

Barbados has recently eased the longstanding lockdown, pushing it back from 9 pm to midnight.

Opposition leader Bishop Joseph Atherley said this week's celebrations among dignitaries would largely not be accessible to ordinary people.

"I just don't think we are doing ourselves a credit and a just service by having this when people are being admonished to sit in the comfort of your home and watch on a screen," Atherley said.

"Increasing numbers of Covid cases, an increasing sense of stress and fear -- I just don't think that it is the right time,” he added.

#Barbados #QueenElizabethII #CaribbeanIsland #Politics #Britain #republic #IndependenceDay #UnitedKingdom

Barbados set to remove Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, bury colonial past

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