Less than 24 hours after Barbados celebrated the 51st anniversary of its Independence, Minister of Education Ronald Jones has called for the country to move towards becoming a republic.
Saying the discussion was one which needed to be had, Jones said he is looking forward to the day when the island would be known as the Republic of Barbados.
“I am sure that we will become stronger as we reflect and as we take new guard to go forward. Somewhere in there will be the notion of a final break from Britain to become the Republic of Barbados,” he said.
“That is a discussion that we have to have. I know that there are persons who are attached to the monarchy, but there has to be that final break where Barbados is a republic and I am hoping that all of us will be around to be part of that final break, which will give us further strength, more knowledge and more capacity to do what we have to do as a small nation, and as a small developing nation, where we will call on all of our people to put their backs to the proverbial plough even more.”
The minister made the comments during a ceremony yesterday at which several people and organisations were honoured for their contribution towards the Human Chain Link event on November 28, 2016.
Jones’ comments raise once more a proposal that had been put forward by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart two years ago in the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of Independence. In 2015, Stuart, at a branch meeting of his Democratic Labour Party (DLP), said that he wanted to see Barbados become a republic in 2016 in time for the golden anniversary of Independence.
He said then: “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.”
Forty-five awards were handed out and Chief Education Officer Karen Best said more than 200 people would be rewarded for their part in the Human Chain Link event. (RB)
