FRIDAY, 22nd October, 2021: Barbados has announced that it has elected its first president. This development is a key step for the Caribbean Island to become a republic and remove Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as its Head of State.
The current governor-general of the country, Sandra Mason is set to be sworn in as President on November 30, the country's 55th anniversary of independence from Britain.
The Barbadian government had earlier tweeted that its House and Senate had elected Mason, who is 72 years on Wednesday with a parliamentary vote it referred to as a "historic milestone on the road to the Republic."
In September 2020, Mason announced the break with Britain, saying “the time has come to fully leave our colonial past behind.”
She said, “Having attained Independence over half a century ago, our country can be in no doubt about its capacity for self-governance."
When asked about the plans last year, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said it was “a matter for the government and people of Barbados.”
Barbados — which has a population of just under 300,000 — was claimed by the British in 1625. It has sometimes been called “Little England” for its loyalty to British customs.
The Caribbean’s easternmost island is also well-known as the birthplace of superstar singer Rihanna, who is a Barbadian ambassador tasked with promoting education, tourism and investment.