Governor- General Dame Sandra Mason nominated to be the 1st President of Barbados

The Caribbean nation Barbados is ready to become a republic on upcoming November 30 2021. The country has nominated Governor-General Dame Sandra Mason as the first President. It is also highlighted that there will be no changes to the name of the country, pledge, and the name of independence Day.

PM Mia Amor Mottley highlighted this during the national address on Saturday.

PM Mottley said that she had asked the Status Transition Advisory Committee to start the discussion with the people about the further decided kind of promises and pledges that they wanted them to know the about.

PM Mottley said, “There is no change to the flag. There is no change to the name of Independence Day; there is no change to the name of Barbados. Barbados is Barbados. We’re not the Commonwealth of Barbados; we’re not the Republic of Barbados; Barbados is Barbados. We are also not changing our pledge. We feel that if we are going to have a new Constitution eventually that is going to reflect who we are in the third decade of the 21st century, rather than who we are in the middle of the 20th century, that should be first and foremost guided by the kind of person that we want to be and the kind of people. Not legal language; not justiciable language, but a Charter, a set of pledges and promises as Bajans to each other, no more than two or three pages.”

PM Mottley stated, “And it is the intention that subjects to the people and Parliament agreeing to it that on November 30, Independence Day that there will then be the opportunity for the President of the country to be able to recite that Charter, as the embodiment of the aspirations of Barbadian people.”

The process would be led by two members of the republican Status Transaction Advisory Committee, Senator Reverend John Rogers and Chareda Grannum. This is expected to be completed before the dead line of November 30, and this process should follow the decision that has been made in both the houses of parliament.

The third aspect of the process includes of discussions regarding the new constitution for Barbados. This process is expected to finish in January 2022.

PM Motley, I said that the government of Barbados decided to divide the constitution into a few parts and chapters that would be starting with the preamble and further continuing with fundamental rights, freedom and responsibilities. This will be concluded tell January 2022 before moving to the next section.