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by Guy Hewitt
I have been a strong advocate for Barbados attaining republican status. This is a necessary rite of passage for us as a people, but this journey has taken on a greater imperative for me following the deafening silence of our monarch, the Queen of Barbados, during the 2018 Windrush scandal.
In saying nothing about the racism and injustices Barbadians and other West Indians were facing at the hands of the British Government, particularly on the eve of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, Queen Elizabeth II by default sided with our ‘oppressors’ thereby reopening old colonial wounds.
However, like a considerable number of Barbadians, I am at odds with the BLP regime on the timing and the process being followed in becoming a republic. It’s not just what you do but how you do it that matters. Foreign Policy, a world-leading publication on global affairs, current events, and international policy, picked up this variance in a
recent article.
The international affairs magazine carried as a feature, “Barbados to Say Goodbye to the Queen – here’s why.” The article highlighted that on 16 September 2020, Governor General Sandra Mason “announced that she would soon be out of a job.”
The publication noted that the Queen’s representative conveyed that by 30 November 2021, on the 55th anniversary of the country’s independence, Barbados will break up with Elizabeth and instead swear in a local Barbadian as president and head of state.
In the June 28 Foreign Policy article, I argued that while Barbados should make the transition to a republic, we needed more time to think through the process and do it properly. I believe that the timing of the announcement serves as a convenient distraction from COVID-19 and the economic crisis we are in and also to advance pursuits of
personal legacies.
The international affairs magazine noted that “Since parting with the United Kingdom has historically gotten bipartisan support, [the prime minister] is likely to get the backing she needs. However, if the destination is clear, the path for getting there is far less so. PM Mottley has opted to go forward without a public referendum and has been relatively silent on the process after the September 2020 announcement.”
The article points out that Dr Marion Williams, head of the 10-member Republican Status Transition Advisory Committee with the mandate of thinking through what the republic should look like, considers changes to be superficial. It points out, “When asked if Barbadians would feel a direct impact in their daily life after Barbados parts ways with the queen, her answer was clear: ‘No’.”
However, strong opinions have been conveyed against simply dusting off and amending the Constitution based on a document written in 2005. In her June 25 column in Barbados Today, Heather Cole emphasized that: “Not only has the world changed by leaps and bounds since then but another generation that was not born or at the age of maturity has no knowledge of this document.”
She also noted that a key recommendation of Sir Henry Forde, the chief architect of the 2005 republican proposal, was that Barbados should hold a referendum.
Grenville Phillips II in his June 16 open letter to the prime minister noted that “if we become a Republic, without an effective restraint that our Constitution currently provides, that a dictator will certainly arise to do us harm. The Commission’s recommendation of a republic, pales in comparison with the recommendation to address the risk of prime ministerial dictatorship.”
In addition to these arguments against the rush to republicanism, the problem lies in one word in the name of the committee: ‘advisory.’ It means the prime minister has the final word on everything. I again urge caution as Barbadians are feeling pushed headlong towards an undefined republican status. We all recall how in Guyana their then prime minister contorted the country from a constitutional monarchy to a ceremonial presidency and on to a despotic executive presidency.
Foreign Policy revealed that “According to a high-level [UK] diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity, Barbados did not warn the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office that the separation was coming officially before the throne speech, though it did tell Buckingham Palace. That is something that some diplomats might have appreciated knowing ahead of time.” They also advised that “Mottley’s office did not follow up on multiple requests for an interview.”
The increasing lack of transparency in the affairs of the government should be of concern to the people of Barbados. Given what Guyana experienced in and out of its journey to republicanism, we need to protect ourselves against any possible threat of despotism. May the Lord continue to be the people’s guide.
Guy Hewitt is a candidate for President of the DLP. He currently lives and works between Barbados and Florida and can be contacted at [email protected]
