BARBADOS PLANS JANUARY 19 SNAP ELECTION AFTER BECOMING REPUBLIC

BRIDGETOWN — Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley this week called a snap general election for January 19, just weeks after the Caribbean country became a republic and said goodbye to the British monarchy.

A former British colony that gained independence in 1966, Barbados in October elected Sandra Mason as the country’s first-ever president to replace Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as head of state. Mason was sworn in as president on November 30.

In a 37-minute, political address broadcast on her social media accounts, Mottley listed her government’s economic and financial achievements and said the economy was recovering despite damage to the tourism industry by the COVID-19 pandemic.