Antigua and Barbuda in no rush to become a republic

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Sir Rodney Williams upon his appointment as Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda/2017 photo

Antigua and Barbuda is in no rush to become a republic which would mean the removal of Queen Elizabeth II as the country’s Head of State.

This is the view of Information Minister, Melford Nicholas, who added that although Antigua and Barbuda will likely examine the possibility of becoming a republic in the future, now is not that time.

“I don’t know that there is an appetite for that at this time. I believe we should remain focused on the task at hand; the rekindling of the national economy that  the country enjoyed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Nicholas told reporters.

Nicholas added that there would need to be a programme of public education before moving to replace the constitutional monarchy now in place with a republican system of government.

Nicholas’s response was prompted by questions raised by reporters concerning Barbados’ recent announcement that it will take steps to become a republic November 30th 2021, its independence day.

Wishing Barbados well in its decision, Nicholas noted that there are already three republics in the Commonwealth Caribbean; Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Dominica. “These things are more symbolic, spiritual and emotional rather than changing anything in real terms in the way that our public administration is done,” Nicholas concluded.

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15 COMMENTS

  1. How foolish can we be? you do realize we are in the season of emenent wars…should the “head of state “demand our sons to fight thier unholy wars to protect the wealth of thier empire built off the backs of our UNVOLENTARY ancestors, that we we must acquiesce.

  2. Antigua is wise to retain the current constitutional arrangements, which have served the country well since independence. We need a non-partisan head of state, which we share with 15 countries around the globe. The monarchy opens many doors for Antigua and costs nothing. Barbados has no opposition whatsoever so a political head of state cannot rein in the excesses of a government with 29 of the 30 seats in the House.

    • Nonpartisan head of state? You kidding me right? Tell me which Head of State was not a political appointee and was not partisan. I’ll wait.

  3. What are the benefits to the countries in the caribbean that have the Queen as head of state? Jamaica who still honors the Queen as head of state, it’s citizens require a visa to enter the UK, while citizens from the UK visiting Jamaica don’t require a visa. Interestingly Dominica and Trinidad that are both republics do not require visa to enter the UK. No referendum should be required, just get out..!

  4. Don’t be stupid, Antigua! In the world we live in, we must remain closely tied to England. Simply put, with Chinese incursion ongoing into the Caribbean, we want to be partners in the Commonwealth, not the economic colonial subjects of Red China. It’s not ideal, but we must maintain close connections with England.

    • Black Johnny, Perhaps you do not realize that “republics” can still remain members of the Commonwealth, and not have the Queen as their Head of State. Many republics, with a President as their Head of State, belong to the Commonwealth. Perhaps a good time to make the change would be when Elizabeth passes. Not many Antiguans and Barbudans have much interest in having Diana’s former husband as their head of state. Just think about it.

      • There are rules that appear to support a situation, such as being a republic in the Commonwealth, and then there is the reality of such in which political decisions are made based upon the perceived loyalty of a jurisdiction to the Crown. Perhaps, you’d be better informed by studying the relationship of Fiji, a republic, to the Crown and the realities of such in terms of aid and assistance. I also suggest you strongly study the relationship between the US and Guam versus the US and the USAPI. This is much more complex than you can imagine.

  5. The reason for Jamaicans needing visas for England, has nothing to do with the Queen being head of State. Does Antiguans need a visa to visit England? We are not a part of the Republic, but we can go there freely without visas. Do your homework first!

    Johnny Black, I agree with you. We must, as a small nation, have in our pockets strong alliance with England. The Chinese can invest all they want which is a good thing for the country, but they can’t take our country. Ligitimate investments is good for any country regardless of who is investing and the condition of the investments.

    • The Jamaica visa matter was mentioned to show that no special treatment is afforded to countries that have the Queen as head os state over those who don’t. So please get off the slave plantation.

  6. No disrespect but, what benefit is the Queen to us? How much does she care about us? She is one of the richest person in the world, who have benefited from the slave trade.
    We will never totally liberate our minds until we start to celebrate and elevate our own.
    Let us use the names of our own people who have contributed to the struggle, and not exploitation, of this land.

  7. But you jokers were willing to ram the CCJ down our throat while still pledging allegiance to Elizabeth her heirs and successor. That means even the little boy for William.

  8. If one of the Queen’s realm became a republic, the country would need unanimous support from all 54 Commonwealth members to secure readmission. Theoretically, Tuvalu with a population of just over 10,000 could exclude Antigua or Barbados on any grounds no matter how frivolous. The risk is simply not worth taking.

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