No Referendum, no Republic!
Submitted by Grenville Phillips, Leader of Solutions Barbados
I listened to our Prime Minister give an interview on ABC Australia, part of which was carried on CBC-TV news on 17 Sep 2020. In it, the Prime Minister explained that Barbadians will not be allowed a referendum, to decide on whether they support Barbados becoming a Republic.
Our Prime Minister must know that she cannot do that. Our Attorney General, all the lawyers in the BLP and DLP, our Governor General, and all our judges should know that she cannot do that. Yet, she noted that she will follow NIKE and “just do it”.
Our Prime Minister is not a dictator, so she must have a proverbial ‘Ace’ up her sleeve. In the interview, she revealed it. She justified her approach by explaining her belief that Barbadians elected her to do it. Let me quote her.
“We certainly campaigned on it in the manifesto, that while we committed to referendum on other issues, we did not on this one, and we made it clear that this is where we believe the country must go.”
WAS IT CLEAR?
As the leader of the third largest political party in Barbados, and on behalf of the thousands of Barbadians who voted for Solutions Barbados in the last General Election, I had to investigate this claim. Because either I was suffering from some sort of memory loss and had to resign, or our Prime Minister inadvertently misspoke.
I reread the BLP’s 2018 Manifesto. There was no mention of any plan to make us a Republic. On the matter of referenda, page 45 states:
“Introducing National Dialogues, National Referenda and consulting with Barbadians on major national issues, such as the decriminalisation of recreational marijuana.”
Is changing our system of government to a Republic, not more of a major national issue than decriminalising recreational marijuana?
I then read the BLP’s 2016 Covenant of Hope. Again, there was no plan to make us a Republic. On the mater of referenda, Page 22 states:
“We support the use of People’s Initiatives, as well as the mechanism of Referenda, to ensure that our citizens may influence the work of our Parliament and our Executive. This permits our people, and not only Parliamentarians, to have an appropriate role in decision-making on fundamental issues affecting the stability and cohesion of our nation. This must always follow an intensive public education programme.”
If fundamentally changing our system of government to a Republic, does not qualify as a fundamental issue affecting the stability and cohesion of our nation, then what does?
WHAT WENT WRONG?
So, where could our Prime Minister have gotten the idea, that a Republic plan was in their campaign manifesto? I decided to investigate. I read the BLP’s 2013 Manifesto, but there is no mention of a Republic plan. So, I read the BLP’s 2008 Manifesto, and there it was, on page 77:
“Update the Constitution Review Commission recommendations on replacing the Crown with a Barbadian President and proceed to consult the public fully by way of a referendum”
Clearly the BLP’s stated intent was to measure the public’s support, of our politicians’ desire for a Barbadian Republic, by a national referendum. So, what happened?’
One possible explanation is that a plan to make Barbados a republic without a national referendum, was in an early draft of the BLP’s 2018 Manifesto. Since the BLP cannot force Barbados to become a republic, that plan was abandoned. Whatever the explanation, the BLP does not have a mandate to make us a Republic.
Without a mandate from the people to make us a Republic, the BLP needs to go back to the drawing board. To become a Republic, there must be support from both the Government and the Public. The public’s support is normally measured by a national referendum. No referendum, no republic.
Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer and President of Solutions Barbados. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com
Barbados Underground 
NorthernObserverSeptember 21, 2020 9:45 AM
@John
Where is your buddy @plt. Is he a new Czar?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Probably drinking his Horlicks.
Seriously though, it is natural for any human to rebel.
At the age when Horlicks, Milo, Ovaltine or Fry’s Cocoa was forced down children’s throats and they were made to believe it was delicious, as humans their natural reaction was to rebel.
They quickly became inculcated with the carrot and stick approach and resentment seethed in many.
My siblings and I were each given a table spoon of shark oil regularly and hated it.
Our mother convinced us it tasted wonderful and we dutifully took it … and each of us enjoyed it … but it tasted awful.
She made it an outing, we went to the Christ Church Dispensary and got the Shark Oil.
I am just saying that rebellious thoughts festered but no child at that age would express them.
The result is in many cases is a maladjusted adult who will rebel at any excuse just because they were made to drink Horlicks or Milo or Ovaltine or Fry’s.
Fortunately, that was not the habit of household in which I grew up.
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BTW
Did you know Fry’s Cocoa was a the result of a Quaker family?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J.S._Fry%26_Sons
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DonnaSeptember 21, 2020 10:37 AM
Here we go again! Last week you called him “vile”. Now today you are his ally against me.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Such fragility.
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Must be the Horlicks.
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Quaker John
If you are still alive, here is a little tale. I used to play cricket in a Quaker Village, Jordan’s in Buckinghamshire, were pubs and restaurants were not allowed. But around the border there were lots of pubs and restaurants. After the game, everyone rushed for the border.
Be careful out there. There are some bitter, twisted people out there.
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And you and John are the worst of them.
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John the Racist,
Not fragile at all! Just pointing out his inconsistency. He is a prime example of the Trump voting type. He’ll say you are dishonest and vile but with link up with you over some stupid slight he has been told that he took the wrong way.
But I would agree with you when you make a good point but I would never defend you against anyone. You do not value black lives. I am black and so is my son.
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Here is a famous Fry.
Born a Gurney (Barclays Bank) she was instrumental in prison reform in England.
There is something very different about the individuals who became Quakers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Fry
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And there we have it. Women with muscular arguments forcing it down John’s throat, while he is glad that it is not Horlicks. Hal defends his honour.
Twice in one day too, though Hal advises us to stay away from the border, could be twisted people trying to take away our beer and force Horlicks on us.
Nay I say, unless you are born Quaker. They remain firm and resolute, moreso in the face of a woman with a muscular argument.
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Famous Frys… that rings a bell. Enid Blyton, right?
Was she Quaker too?
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@ Crusoe
Hal defends his honour? Whose honour?
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Hal AustinSeptember 21, 2020 12:16 PM
Quaker John
If you are still alive, here is a little tale. I used to play cricket in a Quaker Village, Jordan’s in Buckinghamshire, were pubs and restaurants were not allowed. But around the border there were lots of pubs and restaurants. After the game, everyone rushed for the border.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You will find Jordan families from Buckinghamshire in Barbados in the 17th century!!
Quakers!!
Possibly Jordan’s in St. George gets its name from a family from the village in which you played cricket.
Edward Jordan in the late 1700’s was the father of Sarah Ann Gill!!
Good chance Sarah Ann Gill is a descendant of a Jordan family from Buckinghamshire.
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Crusoe,
I have been called things on BU that nobody has ever called me to my face. “Bitter and twisted” have now been added. I challenge anyone to show me a post that can construed as bitter or twisted.
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@Hal Austin September 21, 2020 12:16 PM “Quaker John. If you are still alive?”
What do you mean asking John if he is still alive? He’ll probably be alive wwh he is 95
Nobody has ever troubled John, except perhaps his own kinsMEN.
Nobody has
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Relax.
You can learn some techniques from this guy even if you don’t like him.
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Dotun Adebayo, writing in thew Voice, has questioned why Barbados is in a rush to be a Republic. He argues that at age 94, there would be nothing wrong with waiting a few more years before making a tidy change.
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Here is an article from Guy Hewitt in today’s Guardian newspaper.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/22/barbados-republic-free-tarnished-global-britain-queen-windrush-scandal
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For what its worth!!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8762119/Barbadoss-moves-drop-Queen-Head-State-driven-Chinese-interference.html
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Grenville now published a short opinion piece on facebook.
Nonsense about the Queen being managing the national insurance policy. Then referring the Grenada intervention and that it would not have been possible without the GG.
Utter nonsense. He left out, by error or otherwise, that it was mainly US forces who led the intervention, not British.
Secondly, that a control President, aka the Trinidad model, could do the same.
For an educated and professional man to be publishing that ish, is perplexing.
He should do better.
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How many times must Grenville show you that he is a fool????
Do you wish to change your advice to Guy Hewitt now? It was your advice, wasn’t it?
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Donna,
Mea Culpa. I keep hoping that he will come round. But then he writes something like this.
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@Crusoe
You are extremely patient.
The nelson fables sent me overboard.
His telling/interpretation of
history is seriously flawed.
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Crusoe,
You still hope after he opined that Donald Trump has done more for African-Americans than any other recent president?????????
Come on! The man is a fool! If he fell for the Trump con he is a lost cause.
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@ TLSN
Welcome back.
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First, the supreme authority in any organisation – whether club, association, social gathering or country – is NOT the elected leader but its members… the people. For Queen Mia to unilaterally declare that the country is to be changed from one status to another is pellucidly illegal and MUST be challenged.
Second, before Queen Mia makes a single step in the direction of Republicanism, she should first make major changes to the stifling bureaucracy and legal system which strangles virtually all activities in Barbados, from building a home to renewing a drivers licence to sending $30 to a family member overseas.
Third, when I hear about politricks these days I FIRST ask myself “who stands to profit?”. The revelation of the Chinese connection explains all of the corruption of our latest crop of imperfect and self-centered leaders. Queen Mia will no doubt become the multi-millionaire Queen Mia I of Barbados, President Mottley, and El Dictatoria of all she surveys. But I doubt she will donate a penny of her offshore baksheesh towards anything, such as Rihanna has done.
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Nkrumah must be turning in his grave or is it Kenyatta.
Always confused these two.
https://www.msn.com/en-xl/africa/other/kenya-should-renegotiate-chinese-rail-loan-parliamentary-panel-says/ar-BB19nHNp?ocid=msedgdhp
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Grenville will get even fewer votes this time than he got in 2018.
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