{"id":6773,"date":"2020-09-15T19:23:18","date_gmt":"2020-09-15T23:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/?p=6773"},"modified":"2020-09-15T19:23:18","modified_gmt":"2020-09-15T23:23:18","slug":"barbados-to-become-republic-remove-queen-as-head-of-state-in-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/index.php\/2020\/09\/15\/barbados-to-become-republic-remove-queen-as-head-of-state-in-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Barbados To Become Republic, Remove Queen As Head Of State In 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

(JAMAICA STAR) \u2013\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Barbados has announced its intention to become a republic and remove Britain\u2019s Queen Elizabeth as head of state by November next year.<\/p>\n

Governor-General Dame Sandra Mason, gave the update this morning at the opening of a new parliamentary session in Bridgetown.<\/p>\n

Dame Sandra said the administration of Prime Minister Mia Mottley, will take the \u201cnext logical step\u201d to make Barbados into a republic in time for the country\u2019s 55th anniversary of independence in November 2021.<\/p>\n

The governor general is duty-bound to deliver the speech prepared by the political administration.<\/p>\n

In 1998, a Barbados constitutional review commission recommended republican status and in 2015, then Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart said his administration would have implemented the recommendation.<\/p>\n

Most Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states maintained formal links with the British monarchy after gaining their independence.<\/p>\n

If Barbados goes through with its plans, it will join Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana as members of CARICOM\u2019s \u2018Big Four\u2019 to sever ties with the monarchy.<\/p>\n

Various administrations of Jamaica, the fourth member, have repeatedly said they would make Jamaica into a republic but no steps have been taken do so.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who was last week sworn in for a second consecutive term, had committed to putting the issue, along with other major constitutional reform proposals, to citizens in a \u2018grand referendum.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Queen is Head of State for nine CARICOM member states:<\/p>\n