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| Subject: Barbados and Jamaica govt plan to become republics | |
Author: breaking news... | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 18:51:56 01/26/05 Wed Barbados announces republic plan 24/01/2005 - 17:14:31 The prime minister of Barbados has announced plans to make the Caribbean island a republic, replacing the British Queen as the official head of state with a locally elected president. The government will present Parliament with a draft bill to amend the former British colony’s constitution in March, said Prime Minister Owen Arthur. “The moment is coming this year. We will move this country to a higher and mature plane of political development,” said Arthur, who has led his island-nation since 1994. He said Barbados should switch to a republic because it is ”secure in its own identity to have one of its own become its supreme head of state”. Arthur said he favours a system where the president is head of state, although he didn’t say if Barbados would remain a member of the Commonwealth. Barbados became independent in 1966, but still recognises the Queen as the official head of state. The Queen is represented on the island by the largely ceremonial role of governor general. Barbados’ opposition had no immediate comment on the plan. Changing the constitution requires a two-thirds approval in Parliament. Arthur’s Barbados Labour Party holds 23 of 30 parliamentary seats. Though many Barbadians are fond of their British ties, pro-republic sentiment on the island of 278,000 has increased in recent years, following a trend in the English-speaking Caribbean. In 2003, Jamaican Prime Minister PJ Patterson announced plans to make the island a republic, possibly before the 2007 general elections. http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/01/24/story186164.html [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> Subject: Same issue from a Barbados newspaper | |
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Author: breaking news [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 18:55:00 01/26/05 Wed Republic Year-end - Monday 24, January-2005 Prime Minister Owen Arthur. by NEVILLE CLARKE FROM MARCH, Government will be putting steps in place to make Barbados a republic by year-end. Prime Minister Owen Arthur made the disclosure last night while addressing a joint meeting of the Christ Church West and St Michael South branches of the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) at Garrison Secondary School. He said Attorney-General Mia Mottley would present a draft bill in Parliament in March to amend the Constitution. “Thirty-eight years ago at Independence people were not confident in how secure we were in some of the symbols that reflect the Barbadian personality, and a lot was left to be done by future generations,” Arthur told cheering party members. “These generations have to decide what it is they want to accept as the symbolic representation of the Barbados personality as represented by our head of state. The moment is coming this year. “This BLP will move this country to a higher and mature plane of political development by having changes to our Constitution that embrace many of the proposals of the Henry Forde Constitutional Commission. Some of these proposals address fundamentally our standing as a nation before the family of nations as a country that is secure in its own identity, to have one of its own become its supreme head of state,” Arthur added. The Prime Minister told his audience that as Barbados’ leader he would have fundamental problems swearing allegiance to a King Harry. “Heaven forbid, but if Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth were to die; if Prince Charles and if Prince William were to die, I would have it as a fundamental difficulty swearing allegiance to King Harry. I really would,” Arthur said. Arthur also told his audience 2005 was a critical year in the development of Barbados. He identified the coming on stream of the Caricom Single Market and Economy; addressing the gridlock on the country’s roads which affected productivity; and the hosting of World Cup as some of the major challenges facing his administration. http://www.nationnews.com/StoryView.cfm?Record=57169&Section=LO&Current=2005%2D01%2D24%2000%3A00%3A00 [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Sounds about right. | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 19:12:24 01/26/05 Wed The anglophone Caribbean has been talking about this for 40 years. It has not happened yet. This is not to say that it won't. On the contrary, one of the things which closer Crown Commonwealth co-operation has to offer is its disincentive to republicanism, since membership of our community of 16 countries will actually mean something, instead of being a quaint old piece of historical baggage. This is to say, that if sharing a Head of State with 15 other countries sounds daft, then it will sound a lot less daft if you make them into one country. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Looks likely with Barbados not with Jamaica | |
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Author: breaking news... [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 19:49:30 01/26/05 Wed At least that's my reading of it... Barbados seems more determined than Jamaica... Jamaica's got a bigger problem with crime than this issue anyway!!! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: I will only change the FCS Canada Commonwealth History page after it actually happens | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:18:14 01/26/05 Wed [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: I get the feeling this is actually a big blow to Commonwealth unity | |
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Author: Ron [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:32:20 01/27/05 Thu [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: I think this has been on the cards for some time... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 20:50:33 01/27/05 Thu After all, you can't become a banana republic without becoming a republic first :-) [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: That still leaves seven realms in the Caribbean | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 21:19:10 01/27/05 Thu If the Crown loses Jamaica and Barbados, it will still have; Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Belize (actually in Central America) Grenada St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Ain't it funny? | |
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Author: Ed Harris (London) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 00:39:50 01/28/05 Fri The push for republic status in these countries all seems to come from the rulers. At least, they make the most noise: I have never heard of a Bermudian popular protest against the Crown. The Jamaicans are very religious and strongly Anglican, and HM, as head of the Church, has quite a lot of support there. I must admit that my familiarty with current public opinion in the Caribbean as regards the Monarchy is not good. For all I know, 80% of Jamaicans and Bermudians are republicans. However, I doubt it. In New Zealand, the status quo is not much less popular than it is in Britain, but Ms Clarke seems dead set on the Republic of New Zealand (not so much a Banana Republic as a Sheep Republic. Perhaps she could style Herself not President Clarke but Lord of the Rings). Similarly, I imagine that Messrs Patterson and Smith are more fervently republican than their electorates. Could this be, perhaps, because political leaders reach the top and realise that they can't go any further without doing away with the Constitution and becoming presidents? Do they become so caught up in their own importance that they can not bear the thought of some higher power before whom they must bow their heads? Does their resentment that they have to work every hour God sends to remain in the public eye and grab headlines, whereas the Queen gets attention automatically, colour their judgement? Or is this too cynical? Jai Rani. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: What a terrible turnaround | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 21:30:11 01/27/05 Thu Back in the 1950's, Australia, New Zealand and Barbados were amongst the most loyal and proudly British parts of the Empire & Commonwealth. Today, they are at the forefront of disloyalty and republicanism. Perhaps there are more traditions to attack in these countries, so republican forces are stronger. Perhaps more so than in Canada where the ties have been watered down over the last forty years, so republicanism hasn't got a reason to be very strong. Even the UK is not as loyal as it used to be. I remember when Fiji became a republic in 1987 because of the coup there. Before that, they were an extremely loyal country. They even kept the Union Jack in their flag after becoming a republic and apologised to the Queen. Now they are in a mess. This is all very sad. At least the Bahamas are still fiercely loyal! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Barbados and Jamaice should hold referenda | |
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Author: David (Australia) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 10:30:22 01/28/05 Fri I hope this doesn't happen and that the respective governments at least hold referenda. To the best of my knowledge, the Queen is well liked in the Carribean (although the same could proabably be said about many republics within the Commonwealth). I think there is at least some hope that the people of these great countries will reject a move towards a republic if given the choice, as we did in Australia. All these moves are about is giving politicians more power and less accountability. There are no dictatorships or one-party states with the Queen as Head of state yet many Commonwealth countries which have followed the republican path have become basket cases. I hope for the sake of Commonwealth unity and the future of these wonderful countries that the Monarchy can be retained. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |