Government & politics — Barbados

the name derives from the Portuguese "as barbadas," which means "the bearded ones" and can refer either to the long, hanging roots of the island's bearded fig trees or to the alleged beards of the indigenous Carib inhabitants

• history: adopted 22 November 1966, effective 30 November 1966; Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 establishes Barbados as a
• republic and revokes the earlier Order in Council amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, and the organization and authorities of the branches of government requires two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both houses of Parliament; passage of other amendments only requires a majority vote of both houses; amended several times,
• last in 2021 note: following the transition to a republic in November 2021, the Government of Barbados in February 2022 began the process of establishing a constitution commission to review a new draft constitution

• chief of state: President Sandra MASON (since 30 November 2021) previous Queen ELIZABE
• Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY (since 25 May 2018) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the preside
• nt on the advice of the prime minister elections/appointments: president elected by an electoral college of both Houses of Parliament for a 4-year renewable term; election last held on 20 October 2021; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the president; the prime m
• inister recommends the deputy prime minister election results: Sandra MASON elected as first president on 20 October 2021

Description

bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (21 seats statutory - 19 current; members appointed by the president - 12 on the advice of the prime minister, 2 on the advice of the opposition leader, and 7 at the discretion of the president; members serve 5-year terms) House of Assembly (30 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

Elections

Senate - last appointments on 4 February 2022 (next appointments in February 2027) House of Assembly - last held on 19 January 2022 (next to be held in January 2027)

Election Results

• Senate - appointed
• composition as of August 2023 - men 11, women 8, percent of women 42.1% House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - BLP 69%, DLP 26.5%, other 4.5%
• seats by party - BLP 30
• composition as of August 2023 - men 22, women 8, percent of women 26.7%;

Note

total Parliament percent of women 32.7%

Note

tradition dictates that the next election is held within 5 years of the last election, but constitutionally it is 5 years from the first seating of Parliament plus a 90-day grace period

• highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the High Court with 8 justices) and the Court of Appeal (consists of the High Court chief justice and president of the court and 4 justices; note - in 2005, Barbados acceded to the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal, replacing that of the Judicial Committee of the
• Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister and opposition leader of Parliament; other justices appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, a 5-member independent body consisting of the Supreme Court chief justice, the commission head, and presidential appointees recommended by the prime minister; justices
• serve until mandatory retirement at age 65 subordinate courts: Magistrates' Courts

Summary

11 parishes and 1 city*

Regions or States

• Bridgetown*
• Christ Church
• Saint Andrew
• Saint George
• Saint James
• Saint John
• Saint Joseph
• Saint Lucy
• Saint Michael
• Saint Peter
• Saint Philip
• Saint Thomas

• Alliance Party for Progress or APP [Joseph ATHERLEY]
• Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Mia MOTTLEY]
• Democratic Labor Party or DLP [Ronnie YEARWOOD]

• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

ACP, AOSIS, C, Caricom, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Roger F. NYHUS (since 19 January 2024) note - also accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines embassy: Wildey Business Park, St. Michael BB 14006, Barbados, W.I. mailing address: 3120 Bridgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3120

telephone

(246) 227-4000

FAX

(246) 431-0179

Email address and website

• BridgetownACS@state.gov
• https://bb.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Noel Anderson LYNCH (since 11 January 2019)

chancery

2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 939-9200

FAX

[1] (202) 332-7467

Email address and website

• washington@foreign.gov.bb
• https://www.foreign.gov.bb/embassies-high-commissions-and-permanent-missions/

consulate(s) general

Miami, New York