ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA TAKES FIRST STEPS TOWARDS REPUBLIC STATUS

Widely regarded as a definitive step towards its intended republic status, the returning government of Antigua and Barbuda has been sworn in, excluding allegiance to the King of Great Britain from its oath.

Instead, allegiance was sworn to the country, which became independent from Britain on November 1st 1981.

Back in power with a decisive 15-seat majority in the 17-seat Parliament, the government of Prime Minister Gaston Browne initiated the constitutional amendment it had previously passed last December.

That ended a tradition of swearing allegiance to the British monarch dating back even before the eastern Caribbean state became independent in 1981.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne has spoken of holding a referendum on whether Antigua and Barbuda should adopt the republic status. No date has yet been set, but indications are that this could happen during this term, his fourth consecutive at the helm of the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP).

Last December’s constitutional amendment to change the swearing-in protocol is seen as a clear indication of that intention.

Asked about the planned change to a republic status during a royal visit to Antigua and Barbuda by the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 2022, Prime Minister Browne  told the UK’s ITV News: “This is not an act of hostility or any difference between Antigua and Barbuda and the monarchy, but it is the final step to complete that circle of independence, to ensure that we are truly a sovereign nation.”

However, he affirmed that ‘his country would remain a committed member of the Commonwealth, even if it removes the monarchy via referendum’.

Antigua and Barbuda is one of 15 nations to retain the British monarch as its head of state. In the Caribbean, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica and Barbados have already transitioned to a republic.

The most recent to make the switch was Barbados in 2021. The matter is also under consideration in Jamaica, where in 2024 a bill was tabled in Parliament signalling the country’s intention.

Grenada, Barbados and Jamaica have also changed their national oaths from allegiance to the British Crown to their respective nation-states.

An analysis by the BBC(British Broadcasting Corporation) suggests that the hurdles that referendums need to clear differ across countries. In St Lucia, the Bahamas, Jamaica and St Kitts and Nevis, referendums need a simple majority of voters to pass. But the transition could be more difficult to achieve in Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines, because two-thirds majorities are required.

It notes that in 2009, St Vincent and the Grenadines held a referendum. Forty-five per cent of voters chose to replace Queen Elizabeth II with a ceremonial president - falling far short of the two-thirds required.