BRIDGETOWN - Barbados' prime minister has proposed that the island cut
ties with the British monarchy and become a republic but gave
assurances at the weekend that will not happen without voter approval.
In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Owen Arthur told Barbadians
his government intended to change its "way of governance," not their
way of life, and certainly not without democratic consultation.
Arthur announced last month that his government planned to take
Barbados "to a higher and mature plane of political development" by
making it a republic by the end of 2005. The announcement sparked
debate over the need for a referendum.
The Caribbean island of 277,000 people was colonised by Britain in the
1600s and became independent in 1966 but remains a part of the British
Commonwealth with Queen Elizabeth 2 as head of state.
Arthur has proposed that Barbados become a parliamentary republic with
a ceremonial president as head of state. Executive power would remain
with the Cabinet, with the prime minister as the head of government.
Barbados would remain a member of the Commonwealth.
"Some of the comments seem to suggest that the proposal for Barbados to
replace a monarchy with republican status is a new idea which the
government wishes to impose on the people," said Arthur. "That is not
so. "
He said the idea was first explored in 1979 by a constitutional review
commission, but was shelved because a majority of Barbadians at the
time wanted to keep the queen as head of state. Since then, a
constitutional review commission appointed in 1996 has made clear that
Barbadians are ready to elect their own head of state, he said.
Arthur, who began serving the first of his three terms as prime
minister in 1994, said he would ask Parliament to approve a referendum,
and that democratic consultation was always part of his plan.
"In 1994, as one of the pledges made to the people of Barbados, this
administration proclaimed that on a matter as fundamental as a change
of our governance, such as would be involved in a move to a republican
status, the opinion of the people shall be deliberately and
specifically canvassed by way of a referendum," Arthur said.
pb
Listen up Canada, Australia, NZ and you other captive nations. We've
only got a short time left to follow Barbados lead. If we don't act
soon, we'll all be staring at prince charlie's ugly map every time we
break a 20, and you ladies will have to curtsey to queen freakin'
camzilla every time they come calling.
Personally, I'd rather have Nicholas Ceausescu on our 20 dollar bill.
Write your MP. Get this ball rolling.
That is all.
pb
Correspondent:: brthrn@dangermedia.org
Date: 12 Feb 2005 16:20:26 -0800
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That was all some sort of ELABORATE FAG CODE, WASN'T IT!? You sneaky
little fago fuck!
Correspondent:: "Linus Minimax" Date: 12 Feb 2005 22:51:47 -0800
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That's painful reading 'Barbadian' so many times.
BAJAN!
> Listen up Canada, Australia, NZ and you other captive nations. We've
> only got a short time left to follow Barbados lead. If we don't act
> soon, we'll all be staring at prince charlie's ugly map every time we
> break a 20,
For an instant, you finally made me think we should ditch'em with that
'ugly charlie' thing, but on second thought he'd look better with a
pipe in his mouth than lizzy.
--------
"polar bear" wrote in message
news:120220051556247951%bear@pole.com...
> http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=49&ObjectID=10010010
> Listen up Canada, Australia, NZ and you other captive nations. We've
> only got a short time left to follow Barbados lead. If we don't act
> soon, we'll all be staring at prince charlie's ugly map every time we
> break a 20, and you ladies will have to curtsey to queen freakin'
> camzilla every time they come calling.
Silly Bear! You must find some garbage to nuzzle further away from those
Churchill radium dumps. The monarchy is the very thing that *keeps* us from
*becoming* a captive nation, erm...well *more* captive nation. The day we
lose Queen Fragg, is the day Jesusland, which has been literally droooling
on us tightens the chokechain they've already got around our collective
cannecks.
And yes, it may seem ironic that I would hold this position, given my
handle. In the days of the glorious raids, the limeish monarchy *was* the
enemy. Now it's King George II and Prince Dick that must be resisted.
"Bob"ahuackbar.