Barbados Republic: No Your Majesty: Yes Madame President
Britain’s Prince Charles attends a meeting with the Governor
General of Barbados, Sandra Mason, during a visit to
Barbados, March 19, 2019. Tim Rooke/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Caribbean Life, NOVEMBER 5-11, 2021 11
Caribbean feminists
applauded Barbados on Oct.
20. 2021 when nationals voted
Sandra Prunella Mason president
elect of the island with
a two-thirds majority vote
during a joint session of the
country’s House of Assembly
and Senate.
That decision said No to
Queen Elizabeth II deciding
matters of national interest
in Barbados and putting an
end to the beholding relationship
maintained for centuries
by monarchies continuing
through decades since the
island became independent
on Nov. 30, 1966.
The endorsement okayed
governance by a Barbadian
president for the first time,
and for the first time making
history by approving one that
is female.
Now in transition from
being a parliamentary constitutional
monarchy to a parliamentary
republic, Barbados
will seat the ceremonial
elected president and head of
state on the 55th anniversary
of independence.
Mason proved her mettle,
in 2017, when she was named
the eighth governor general
prior to that she was the first
woman admitted to the Bar in
Barbados. She served as chair
of the CARICOM commission
to evaluate regional integration,
was the first magistrate
appointed as an ambassador
from Barbados, and was
the first woman to serve on
the country’s Supreme Court.
In addition, she was the
first appointee from Barbados
to the Commonwealth Secretariat
Arbitral Tribune.
Perhaps another reason
nationals endorsed a woman
to further her call to duty, is
that Mason seems duly qualified
to continue presiding on
behalf of the populous.
When she is seated, Barbados
will be the standout Caribbean
republic touting the
historic achievement of being
led by two females particularly
when colonialism is spiraling
downwards.
One year after Mason committed
to the crown, Prime
Minister Mia Mottley also
proved herself a fierce leader.
Representing the Barbados
Labour Party that year, she
obliterated her opponents by
winning each of the 30 parliamentary
seats sought by
the incumbent Democratic
Labour Party.
Since then doubling as
minister of finance she has
brought transparency to the
forefront by disclosing previously
hidden debts owed by
the government. Despite the
fact she inherited a mountain
of outstanding debts she
is determined to right the
wrongs of the past. Last week
she gave an ultimatum to
bankers charging them with
“abandoning their purpose.”
Advocating for nationals
she railed against them on a
myriad of unfair practices and
threatened to notify the governor
of the central bank that
if they don’t cooperate government
will legislate measures
preventing their banks
from operating.
One of the incursions
she charged was that banks
impose steep fees on accounts
with minimum deposits.
“It is not fair to the people
or businesses in this nation.”
Championing the needs of
her people, PM Motley has
taken Barbados’ politics into
international spotlight. At the
opening of the 76th session of
General Assembly at the United
Nations she admonished
members of the world body
for failing to ensure equal
distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
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