Bahamas and Antigua leaders signal openness to removing King Charles as head of state
Prime Ministers Phillip Davis and Gaston Browne say any move to a republic would need a referendum, as Jamaica's own transition remains stalled.
ST JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda. King Charles's visit to the Caribbean has prompted debate on reparations for slavery, Britain's waning influence in the region and whether more independent nations should become republics.
The Bahamas, where the King first landed late last month, has signalled that it may be time to join Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados and Dominica as republics. Antigua and Barbuda, where the King and Prime Minister Andy Burnham are attending this week's Commonwealth summit, says it is considering a similar path.
Davis: a question for the people
"I'm open to it, yes," Bahamian Prime Minister Phillip Davis told Sky News last week during the King's two-day visit.
But Davis acknowledged that removing the monarch would require a referendum, and said referendums in the Bahamas "have not fared well". He said he was re-elected in May on a mandate that did not include a vote on the monarchy.
"I will be guided by the will of my people. I am quite agnostic about it," he said.
Browne: 'I am a republican'
Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Browne was more direct. "I can say to you, I am a republican," he told British media, but added that the decision ultimately rests with voters in a referendum.
"So until such time as the question is put to them, I have to accept that, you know, King Charles remains," he said. "I serve the King, and he will continue to benefit from, you know, all of the courtesies and respect as our King."
Jamaica's impasse
The comments come as Jamaica's efforts to become a republic continue to face major hurdles. The governing Labour Party (JLP) wants to make the switch while keeping the UK Privy Council as the final court of appeal, phasing in the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) later. The JLP has made no secret of its distrust of a regional apex court, fearing political interference.
The opposition People's National Party (PNP) argues that full independence cannot be achieved while British judges still decide appeals, and says it will withhold its required parliamentary support until the governing party accepts its position on the CCJ.
