The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Motley, the leader of the Barbados Labor Party (BLP), has become a role model for future women politicians in Barbados and the world. She became the first woman politician to become the leader of her party, to be prime minister of her country, to break away from the British and declare her country a Parliamentary Republic, to call early elections 18 months earlier than it was constitutionally due, and to win all seats in the Barbadian Parliament consecutively.
The first prime minister in the Caribbean who won by a landslide in consecutive elections was Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell from Grenada. He won three consecutive elections in his country by winning all 15 seats. The party had held 29 seats when they won a landslide in 2018. Barbados’ government, like those in most former British colonies, serves for five years, so the election was due in 2023.
Even though the term of governments in those countries lasts for five years, there is a
“Vote of No Confidence Clause” in most of their constitutions. Under this provision, any member of parliament can table a Vote of No Confidence to call an early election if he or she thinks that the citizens of his country have lost total confidence in the sitting government. Many political parties in the English-speaking Caribbean have used this provision to call early elections with the intent to win and take over their country’s government before, but most of them have failed.
This clause was adopted from their mother country, Great Britain, and it has been used successfully by the British political parties on several occasions. Currently, there is a debate in the British Parliament to get rid of the current British prime minister, Boris Johnson, for having a cocktail party despite the Covid-19 restrictions.
Before this election was held, many people were wondering why would Prime Minister Mia Mottley take this risk to call early elections, when she just made a controversial decision to make her country a Parliamentary Republic. The opposition party was against the idea due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and they took a case to the Barbados Supreme Court to try and stop the election from proceeding, but the court did not grant them their injunction request. When all the votes were counted, she and her party won all 30 seats.
The challenges facing Barbados and all the countries in the world today with this Covid-19 pandemic are severe. The economies of most countries, including the industrialized nations of the world, are all impacted by this virus. The underdeveloped countries are suffering more due to their lack of financial resources and medical technology. They are looking to the industrialized nations for assistance.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley has guts, or like we say in Belize, she have “gaall,” because she is willing to take on the challenges despite the odds. Many people would choose to walk away or just give it up. This is a true demonstration of a leader’s love for her people and nation.
The citizens have confidence in her, and that is why they voted for her and her Barbados Labor Party (BLP). Elections are now gone, and the Barbadian people have spoken.