Barbados

Introduction

Barbados is a small island in the Caribbean to the east of the Grenadines and north of the coast of South America. It has a population of 280,946 and covers an area of 431 sq km.

Barbados is an independent sovereign state with a parliamentary democracy.

The head of state is HM Queen Elizabeth II represented in Barbados by the governor-general.

The parliament is bicameral, comprising a House of Assembly and Senate. The assembly has 30 members elected by universal adult suffrage every five years. The Senate has 21 members appointed by the governor-general, 12 on the advice of the prime minister, two on that of the leader of the opposition and the remaining seven at the governor-general’s discretion.

The prime minister, usually the leader of the majority party, is head of government. The governor-general appoints other ministers on the advice of the prime minister.

Barbados is divided into 11 parishes and the City of Bridgetown, the capital city, for administrative purposes.

There has been no local government since 1969. In April 1967 the local government council system was dissolved and replaced by an interim commissioner for local government. In September 1969 all local government services were transferred from the commissioner to central government and statutory bodies such as the Sanitation and Cemeteries Board, National Assistance Board and the Parks and Beaches Commission.

While there are currently no plans to establish local government in Barbados, the government is pushing for changes to the constitution and encouraging debate on issues such as the number of terms a prime minister may serve, representation of women and equal rights, and judicial independence. Some structures exist for community consultation, including a youth parliament and Community Independence Secretariat.