By Ken Richards From West Indies News Network
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Giving up the Queen as Head of State should not be a priority for Barbados at the moment, according to hotelier Adrian Loveridge.
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart said recently that Barbados should have its own ceremonial president as Head of State, as obtains in Trinidad and Tobago and Dominica.
The Prime Minister says the country’s 50th anniversary of political independence next year would be an ideal time to make the move.
But hotelier and columnist Loveridge disagrees.
“Why now, when we can least afford it?” He asked in an interview with WINN FM.
“There has to be many other things we should be prioritizing on. Secondly, it has to be the will of the people. I don’t think it can be decided on by a Prime Minister of even a Cabinet. I think it should be the overwhelming voting population that decides, and when it should be implemented… Jamaica seriously considered becoming a republic and they eventually have chosen not to at this stage, because of the huge cost involved.”
Loveridge is insisting that Barbados cannot afford that kind of status change at the moment.
St Kitts and Nevis also has Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as Head of State, and callers to WINN FM’s Voices programme Tuesday weighed in on the discussion.
“We are independent, and we’re talking about bowing to the Queen her heirs and successors? It’s very upsetting to me,” said one caller.
“Australia, New Zealand, Canada amongst many other countries in the Commonwealth, are not republics but they are independent nations, they make their own decisions…but the Queen remains their head of state,” said another.
“If we chose to go republican status, it’s fine, okay, but we must have a referendum of it.”
Another caller who favours the move to republic status said, “Personally I think we really move to away from…colonial shadows, in all aspects of our affairs.”
“Because Trinidad is a republic, we must go?” Another asked.
“You have a ceremonial President, it’s just the same as we have now…if we’re going to do in the future I will prefer if we have an Executive President,” one listener suggested.
“We should become a republic. It’s time now that we get rid of old mother England and the Queen,” another insisted.
The discussion on the Queen as Head of State is expected to continue in St Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, and other CARICOM nations who swear allegiance to Her Majesty
Click link below to hear full item
IMAGES:
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Hotelier and columnist Adrian Loveridge
For more on this story and audio go to: http://www.winnfm.com/news/local/11988-discussion-underway-should-caribbean-countries-move-to-republic-status#sthash.zu6m2SKg.dpuf