The Caribbean island of Barbados is looking to ditch Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and become a republic.
Opening the Barbadian Parliament earlier this week the country’s governor-general (the Queen’s representative on the island), Dame Sandra Mason, said it was time that Barbados had a Barbadian head of state.
By November next year the country will be a republic, according to Dame Sandra.
It will not be hard for the country to become a republic. The governing Barbados Labour Party holds two-thirds majorities in both houses of parliament, so it will not be difficult for it to push through the legislation.
There will still be some issues to iron out and there will have to be amendments to the Constitution. Chief among what will need to be decided is how the new republican head of state will be chosen and what powers will be granted to the incumbent.
Queen Elizabeth II is currently the head of state of sixteen countries, including Barbados. Seven other Caribbean island nations also have her as their head of state, including Jamaica and Grenada.
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