Barbados has elected its first president and is on its way to becoming a republic nation. Here’s everything about the new President of Barbados.
All about the new President of Barbados
Damen Sandra Mason will be sworn as the President of Barbados on November 30, the country’s 55th Independence day after British rule. The 72-year-old is also the first woman to serve on the country’s court of Apples. Additionally, she was the governor-general since 2018. The country has a population of a little under 300,000. Claimed by the British in 1625, the country is also known as ‘Little England’.
The historic election is a result of a joint session of the Senate and House of Assembly on Wednesday. Prime Minister Mia Mottley calls the vote a “seminal moment” for Barbados and its people. The move follows the government’s announcement to gain the status of a republic in September 2020. “The time has come for Barbados to fully leave our colonial past behind,” they stated. The move was first recommended in 1998 by a constitutional review. Now, the nation’s head of state will no longer be the Queen of England.
Barbados: More on the new republic
The prosperous country was a major tourist destination before the pandemic. Over a million tourists visit the nation’s crystalline waters and idyllic beaches annually before the covid restrictions hit the nation. The nation’s economy highly depends on tourism. However, it majorly relied on its sugar exports before.
Moreover, Barbados is not the first British colony in the Caribbean to move towards a republic country. Four years after independence from British rule, Guyana became a republic in 1970. Additionally, Trinidad and Tobago became a republic country in 1976. Dominica followed them in 1978. Additionally, Jamaica has also suggested a move towards a republic nation.
