BARBADOS’ new President Sandra Mason, centre right, awards Prince Charles with the Order of Freedom of Barbados during the presidential inauguration ceremony in Bridgetown, Barbados, as Barbados stops pledging allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II as it becomes a republic.
By Malcolm Strachan
Barbados was the centre of attention last week – as the nation officially became a republic.
Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis was in attendance for the event, as was Prince Charles to witness the moment when the country stopped pledging allegiance to the Queen.
The presence of music superstar Rihanna also caught the eye, who was named a hero of Barbados and bestowed with the title “the right excellent”. As she presented the award, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said: “May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honour to your nation by your words, your actions, and to do credit wherever you shall go. God bless you, my dear.”
As he watched the proceedings, one wonders what Mr Davis thought of the idea of a republic, and whether it is a path that The Bahamas might follow.
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of our own Independence, but we still have our connection to the Queen.
Just last month, upon his return from the climate talks in Glasgow, Mr Davis revealed that he had asked Prince Charles and Prince William to attend our celebrations next year. He said: “Among those to say yes, I was pleased that Prince Charles was very enthusiastic, as was Prince William at another event. As Prince Charles represented the Queen at the original Independence Ceremony in 1973, this was a wonderful gesture.”
Mr Davis’ PLP comrade, Fred Mitchell, who fills both the roles of party chairman and Foreign Affairs Minister, was quick to weigh in on the prospect of becoming a republic.
He said he was committed to the nation becoming a republic, but in a moment of seeming world-weariness, he added: “It is my life’s work toward deepening our democracy, but try as I might over my lifetime I have been unable to fire up the succeeding generations on this issue. Perhaps they have more important things to do.”
He went on to say: “I suspect that there will be a cascading effect since Barbados – arguably the most conservative of CARICOM societies – has done so. The whole question of whether o not a republic is impatient of debate, but the political reality is that unless the younger generation buys into it, it will go nowhere.”
Is it really the younger generation that isn’t buying into it? After all, there is a certain amount of political expedience to be had in our current situation.
Recently, there have been a few renewed calls for the death penalty to be carried out once more. Politically, that question has hinged for years on the finding in the 2011 Maxo Tido case, when the Privy Council – one of those vestiges of our link to the Queen – ruled that such a penalty should only be carried out in cases which were “the worst of the worst and the rarest of the rare”.
Successive governments could have taken further action to legislate to define when a death penalty could be carried out – but is there a certain advantage to avoid dealing with such thorny questions by passing the buck up to the Privy Council? An advantage to pretend that hands are tied instead of taking legislative responsibility?
And is it the younger generation still clamouring for awards from the Queen, such as the OBE, MBE and knighthoods? Just last month, the Governor General, Sir Cornelius A Smith, received his own knighthood at Windsor Castle, as did the Chief Justice, Sir Brian Moree.
We have our own national honours now – but do we value our own honours higher than those awarded by the Queen?
Meanwhile, the influence of Britain is perhaps stronger than it has been in years, thanks to the increased presence of the British High Commissioner, Sarah Dickson, present recently at the return of Virgin Atlantic flights to The Bahamas. More notably, the High Commission played a part helping out in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, as did British forces which deployed to help people affected by the storm.
A moment of transition is coming for the British royal family, with the Queen having taken a step back recently to deal with health issues. She is 95 years of age, and Prince Charles, her successor, will take the role at some point.
But will that moment of transition spur any desire for change here? There are few loud voices calling for such a change, to lay claim to the full independence of the nation.
Frustrations more to the fore are pointed at the government of the day, whichever one it is, rather than the bigger picture of independence – and the need for a referendum to make such a move is another issue to consider. We do not have a good track record with getting referendums passed recently – even when it came to the issue of simply giving women and men the same rights when it came to citizenship.
The first president of Barbados, Sandra Mason, as she was sworn in, said: “We must seek to redefine our definition of self, of state, and the Barbados brand, in a more complex, fractured and turbulent world.
“Our country and people must dream big dreams and fight to realise them.”
Before we think of following Barbados, we too must take that first step of defining who we are and what we want. We too are more than capable of dreaming big dreams – but only when we shrug off the convenience of our current state and our desire to hold on to institutions that would be left behind.
It seems we are more keen to look forward to royal visits than we are to cast off the royal connection – so talk of a move to a republic seems like just that for now: talk
Comments
Alan1 2 years, 4 months ago
An excellent article which needs to be read by our population. We have nothing to gain by changing a system which works well and has been a part of our history for a very long time. Canada has the same system and other than some hard core anti-Monarchists there are no public figures advocating abolishing the Monarchy. The system works well there with an impartial Governor-General just like here. In fact former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau worked with the Premiers of the ten provinces of Canada in 1982 to entrench the Monarchy in the Constitution and it is now extremely difficult to abolish it. Every Prime Minister since has supported the Monarchy quite openly, The current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is a very strong voice for supporting the Monarchy and The Queen and Royal family. A few months ago he said he would not discuss any change as the system works well . Let us heed our Canadian neighbours. Let us be proud of our history and of our Bahamas and maintain what works well in our country .
JohnDoes 2 years, 4 months ago
Why do we wait until other countries do things to then say, I wonder if we should do this? Instead of finding our own way to become better. This country is not a republic and we keep fumbling the ball on FOI, and it seems like even the govt has issues finding and locating the proper information about govt business dealings. So until we get a lot of these underperforming departments and issues related to information security, assurance, and freedom, we'll never be a Republic. Might I add that most countries that use the term 'Republic' are not even full republics, they just like the name and how it sounds.
truetruebahamian 2 years, 4 months ago
Keep the current system, we do not need to be a republic. The more and greater established connections that we now have only works to our benefit. Historic definition is a benefit and a strength.
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 4 months ago
University of the Bahamas, Sir Sidney Bridge, Department of Correctional Services. Ministry of Disaster Management... some name changes have very little meaning. The moniker "Republic" will also mean nothing without a very clear plan on what we hope to change. We talk about our abhorrence for "swearing to the Queen her heirs and successors, but its just a bunch of words. I have yet to see any representative of the Queen show up and demand we hand over her land. Its us thats the problem. Fix us.
sheeprunner12 2 years, 4 months ago
The system as defined by the Constitution has made us a glorified dictatorship, moreso than a monarchy. That is far more troubling ...... Pindling was very shrewd
Sickened 2 years, 4 months ago
Our system was broken by the men and women given power over the years. Even with a new system I'm pretty sure that we will still manage to break that quite quickly. As a people, we just aren't mature enough to be civilized in the house or in society and our pirating roots are still well embedded in our land.
As ThisIsOurs stated above, WE are the problem that needs fixing.
sheeprunner12 2 years, 4 months ago
Look at the great USA .......... their Republic is now broken. Only about 10 states determine any election of the President. Most of the MPs sit in gerrymandered constituencies. The tiny states (population) have the most power in the Senate and the Senators hold the balance of power in the Government.
Can we handle such a Republic system as in the USA? Or will we just depend on the MPs to select a President for all of us (as done in Barbados)?????? ........... Do citizens have much choice, either way?
licks2 2 years, 4 months ago
The Bahamas better get that idea from outta we minds them!! This nation too crooked and corrupt to go it "all-by-we-sef"! The only guards keeping these leaders them from "becoming" like those tin-horn dictators in third world countries is the judicial sytem this commonwealth nation is built upon! WE CAN TAKE ANYONE TO COURT. . .IF THEY TRY TO SWING US WE CAN GO TO THE PRIVY COUNSEL. . .thats why we can be such an international player. . .our judicial sytem affords justice and fair play. . .something that will be lost if we become a republic!!
How many of yinna want to be "absolutly ruled by these elitists political classes"? They will become our lords and masters. . .they done does treat we like we are their slaves. . .imagine what it would be like if they become "the be-all-to-end-all"? I don't know about yinna but I will never want to become a country where these "low brow" political classes become our maximum rulers. . .with nobody to tell them "how to act". . .they will be our supreme rules!!
I will not like to stay in this nation if that happens!! These political people are not good peoples them. . .we will become like some despotic African leader in 20 seconds flat!!
Maximilianotto 2 years, 4 months ago
Barbados is a proud broke republic. Opium for the masses. The Privy Council is the guarantor of investment. Like it or not. And if the Brits suggested not to travel to Barbados B Republic they’ll be broke again.Rihanna will sing and leave for the place where her money is, definitely not Barbados. Careful!
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