Choose To Be A Republican, Barbados Ends Its Ties To The British Empire

Queen Elizabeth II inspects British Royal troops. (Wikimedia Commons/Dan Scavino.Jr)

JAKARTA - If nothing goes wrong, Barbados will soon become a republic, releasing its ties to the British Empire in November, after a long process.

Gaining independence from Britain in the mid-1960s, this Caribbean Sea nation remains a member of the Commonwealth, with a dozen other countries recognizing Queen Elizabeth II as the official head of state.

Citing Sputnik News Oct. 1, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has proposed Dame Sandra Mason to the post of the first President of Barbados, ending her colonial period, the first step towards becoming a republic and escaping Commonwealth status.

"We believe (Ms. Mason) is the right nomination for the post of becoming the first president of Barbados to be elected by this parliament. I am pleased to report, a respected opposition leader like myself agrees that the dignity of the event requires this concerted effort. at the discretion of the partisans in this nation," Mottley said.

Mottley's remarks came hours after the Barbados Parliament voted unanimously to amend the country's Constitution to become a republic.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mottley revealed the debate over the country's relationship with the British Empire had been going on in Barbados for two decades, before the island nation finally decided to become independent.

"This is not a divisive decision. It allows the people of Barbados to tell the world, we have the confidence to take full responsibility for who we are and what we do," said Mottley.

Currently, Dame Sandra Mason holds the post of governor general of Barbados, representative of Queen Elizabeth II. If parliament approves his candidacy, Mason will become the country's first president on November 30, 2021, the same date the country gained independence from Britain in 1966.

Barbados' decision to become a republic will not affect its membership in the Commonwealth. Buckingham Palace released a brief statement commenting on the country's decision, saying it was "a matter of the government and people" of Barbados.

If all goes according to plan, the move would reduce Queen Elizabeth II's powers to 15 countries. Jamaica is another country that has expressed a desire to remove the British monarch as its nominal head of state. Mark Golding, who heads the People's National Party, said the move was very important.