Barbados calls snap election after becoming republic
Weeks after removing Queen Elizabeth as head of state, Barbados is set for a general election. The country's ruling party currently has an overwhelming majority in parliament.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley arrives to attend the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony to mark the birth of a new republic in Barbados. (Reuters) Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Monday called a snap general election for January 19.
The move came just weeks after the country removed Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state and became the world’s youngest republic.
In October, Barbados elected Sandra Mason as the country’s first-ever president. Mason was sworn in as president on November 30.
What did Mottley say in her address?
In a political address broadcast on social media, Mottley listed her government’s economic and financial achievements. She added that Barbados’ economy was recovering despite that the damage the COVID-19 pandemic did to the country’s crucial tourism sector.
In response to criticism of her government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mottley said that the country had entered a “silly season” and that it was time to put aside partisan squabbling.
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