Caribbean News
Three Queens Reign in World’s Newest Republic: Barbados
By Dana Malcolm & Deandrea Hamilton
#Barbados, January 28, 2022 – Have the women of Barbados set off an unstoppable trend? Could 2022 be the Year of the Woman? Many are nodding in absolute agreement, as increasingly pioneering women with impeccable leadership abilities and stately stances are being bestowed the confidence of their people on a national, even global level and are taking on hierarchal roles in democratic governance.
On January 19th, 2022 the Barbabos Labour Party did what observers thought it would do. Led by the globally renowned Mia Amor Mottley, the BLP was expected to win the snap election. However, the nearly 260,000 voters in Barbados did more that resoundingly return Mottley to prime-ministership of the republic, the voters gave her a second sweep in a general election.
All 30 seats were won; a unanimous message was sent by the electorate and the responsibility was humbly accepted,
so said the second-term prime minister in the early hours of January 20 when she addressed throngs of supporters.
But we dare not digress as this feat achieved mere days ago in Barbados, goes beyond the shores of the country situated at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a global milestone which bears feature and focus.
Barbados is led by a new genre of democratically installed Queens. It is an all-female cast in upper governance of the country, which on November 30th 2021 severed the final colonial ties with Great Britain to become a Republic and a “truly” independent nation forging ahead without the Queen as Head of State.
The President of the Republic of Barbados is Dame Sandra Mason. At 73 years old, Mason went from being the last Governor General to becoming the first president.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Barbados is Hon Mia Amor Mottley. At 56 years old, Mottley comes from a family with a rich political history. The men in her family who led Barbados in a bygone era, obviously instilled within this United Nations Champion of the Earth Award winner the kind of grit which draws world leaders, award winning journalists and ceiling shattering opportunities to her court.
And the Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, is another Queen’s Counsel attorney-at-law who emerged as faithful, frugal and fair when the country needed her most. Hon Santia Bradshaw will also lead Government business in the honourable House of Assembly, as she brilliantly staffs this previously unfilled position of deputy prime minister.
Has this been done before and is this feat capable of evoking a shift from male-dominated democracies, to women included governance which is essential to demonstrating diversity.
The gravity of the occasion forces the intrigued to take note of how much space women truly occupy in politics.
“As of 1 September 2021, there are 26 women serving as Heads of State and/or Government in 24 countries. At the current rate, gender equality in the highest positions of power will not be reached for another 130 years,” said information by the United Nations Women, in its Facts and Figures Women’s’ Leadership and Political Participation report.
Unquestionably, the statistics for women holding seats in parliament are improving but still abysmal. In its September 2021 general elections, The Bahamas similarly charted some records as among the Caribbean region countries to hold general elections within this era when the profile of gender equality has been raised. 
Compared to the 3.905 billion women alive who make up 49.58 per cent of the world’s population; “Only four countries have 50 per cent or more women in parliament in single or lower houses: Rwanda with 61 per cent, Cuba with 53 per cent, Bolivia with 53 per cent, and the United Arab Emirates with 50 per cent.” says the UN.
The women of Barbados are by no means alone in their accomplishment, countries like Trinidad and Tobago, where its president is a woman: Paula-Mae Weekes; New Zealand, Finland, Greece, Ethiopia, Togo, Tanzania, Gabon, Singapore, Taiwan and just elected today, January 28,2022 as president of Honduras, Xiomara Castro.
From Hon Akierra Missick, who served as the Turks and Caicos Islands youngest, female Deputy Premier there was high commendation, The Hon Prime Minister’s, second resounding victory in the general elections has firm placed her in the World’s history books, a place she already rested comfortably in, but showed that despite the naysayers women in politics and leadership are well suited and prepared to push their shoulders to the wheel and get the work done for their people.”
The selection of the two women – Dame Mason and Hon Bradshaw – to stand with her in leadership of Barbados, to those looking on is another demonstration of Prime Minister Mottley’s admirable boldness. Undoubtedly, she knew this unique appointment would not only help her to deliver on her campaign pledges to the people of Barbados, but it would upset and uproot old notions which need to go the route of colonialism, that is to be firmly placed in the Republic of Barbados’ past.
A week of wind, water, and heartbreak
From Haiti’s hillsides to Bermuda’s reefs, seven Caribbean nations have been battered, bruised, and forever marked by Hurricane Melissa — a storm that tested not only the region’s infrastructure but its unshakable spirit of unity.
Saturday–Sunday, October 25–26 – The First Strike: Hispaniola
Before the storm even earned its name, torrential rain and flash floods swept across Haiti and the Dominican Republic, claiming lives and
tearing through rural communities.
In southern Haiti, rivers burst their banks, swallowing roads and homes; 23 people were confirmed dead by Sunday evening. Across the border, one death was reported in the Dominican Republic as swollen rivers cut off villages in Barahona and Pedernales.
By nightfall, the tropical system had strengthened — and the Caribbean knew it was facing something historic.
Monday, October 27 – Evacuations and Airlifts
In The Bahamas, Prime Minister Philip Davis issued a mandatory evacuation for the MICAL Islands — Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, and Ragged Island.
Bahamasair added extra flights as the nation braced for what forecasters warned could become the strongest storm in nearly two decades.
Meanwhile, Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, and Cuba activated their national emergency operations centers.
Tuesday, October 28 – Jamaica and Haiti Hit Hard
By afternoon, Hurricane Melissa made landfall near St Elizabeth, Jamaica, as a Category 5 hurricane — winds of 185 mph, central pressure 892 mb, the lowest ever recorded so close to the island.
Roads collapsed, bridges washed away, and Black River Hospital lost its roof. Power failed for 72 percent of the island.
BOJ TV footage shows split asphalt, sparking lines, and flooded communities abandoned for safety.
Initially four were reported dead, that grew to seven deaths and heavy damage in 170 communities; Andrew Holness, Jamaican Prime Minister calling it “a national test of resilience.”
Haiti, still recovering from the weekend’s flooding, was hit again as outer bands dumped more rain on Les Cayes and Jacmel, deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Wednesday, October 29 – Crossing to Cuba
Weakened slightly to Category 4 (145 mph), Melissa tracked north-northeast at 8 mph, hammering eastern Cuba with hurricane-force winds
and mudslides. Over 15 000 people were evacuated from Santiago de Cuba and Holguín.
In Turks & Caicos, the Regiment deployed to Grand Turk, Salt Cay, South, North and Middle Caicos, preparing shelters and securing public buildings.
Thursday, October 30 – The Bahamas and the All Clear
Melissa’s speed increased, sparing the northern Caribbean its worst.
The Bahamas Airport Authority closed 13 airports from Mayaguana to Exuma International; none reported casualties, though infrastructure suffered.
In Turks & Caicos, the all-clear came early Thursday after minimal impact. Premier Washington Misick expressed gratitude and pledged support for neighbors:
“We must act — not only with words, but with compassion and deeds.”
Friday, October 31 – Counting the Cost
By Friday, Melissa had weakened to Category 3 (120 mph) north of Cuba.
The Bahamas Department of Meteorology issued its final alert, lifting warnings for the southern islands.
Regional toll:
- Haiti: 23 dead, thousands displaced.
- Jamaica: 7 dead, 170 communities damaged; 72% without electricity
- Cuba: 2 dead, 15, 000 evacuated.
- Dominican Republic: 1 dead, flooding in southwest.
- Bahamas: 0 dead, minor infrastructure damage and flooding in southeast.
- Turks & Caicos: minimal to no impact.
Relief and Reconnection
The Cayman Islands became the first government to touch down in Jamaica post-storm. Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly led a contingent bringing a plane-load of essentials and pledged US $1.2 million in aid.
Reggae icon Shaggy arrived on a private jet with friends, delivering food, medical kits, and hygiene supplies.
Meanwhile, Starlink and FLOW Jamaica activated emergency satellite internet across Jamaica providing free connectivity through November.
From overseas, U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking during his Asia tour, announced that American search-and-rescue teams and disaster aid will support the region.
“They can depend on U.S. assistance as they recover from this historic storm,” he said.
Faith, Funds, and False Websites
The Government of Jamaica and the Sandals Foundation have both launched verified donation portals for recovery. Officials are warning against fake crowdfunding pages posing as relief sites and urging donors to use only official channels.
A Seventh Nation in the Crosshairs – Bermuda
As Hurricane Melissa left the Caribbean basin, Bermuda found itself next in line.
Forecasts indicated the storm would pass just west of the island late Thursday into Friday, likely as a Category 1 to 2 hurricane with sustained winds near 105 mph.
Though far weaker than when it ravaged Jamaica, officials issued a hurricane warning, urging residents to secure property and expect tropical-storm conditions.
By all appearances Bermuda is heeding the warnings
The Human Response
Across the Caribbean, solidarity surged.
The Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) in Miami began airlifting relief supplies, while churches, civic groups, and businesses in The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos organized drives for displaced families.
“Your dedication gave our islands the strength to face the storm,” Premier Misick said. “Together, as one Caribbean family, we will rise stronger.”
Resilience in the Wake
Melissa’s winds may have faded, but her impact endures. Engineers are inspecting bridges, hillsides, and water systems; volunteers are clearing debris and distributing aid in communities still cut off.
From Haiti’s ravaged river valleys to Jamaica’s sugar towns, from Cuba’s eastern hills to The Bahamas’ salt ponds and Bermuda’s reefs, the region once again stands at the crossroads of ruin and renewal — and leans, as always, toward hope and a faithful God
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
