Sandra Mason elected as the first-ever president of Barbados

Sandra Mason was elected as the first-ever President of Barbados on October 20, 2021, with a two-thirds vote during a joint session of the country's House of Assembly and Senate.

The 72-year-old Mason will replace Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state of Barbados, in a decisive step towards abolishing the monarchy and bringing the nation out of its colonial past. This is a major milestone on its "road to republic", the government said in a statement. 

Mason will be formally sworn in as President on November 30, 2021, on the occasion of the nation's 55th anniversary of independence from Britain. 

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley called the election “a seminal moment” in the country’s journey. Mottley said, "We have just elected from among us a woman who is uniquely and passionately Barbadian, does not pretend to be anything else (and) reflects the values of who we are."

Barbados Political History

Barbados is a small island country that is located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, in the Caribbean region of the Americas. It is located towards the east of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Initially, in the late 15th century, the Spanish had briefly claimed Barbados but it became an English and later British colony from 1625.

Barbados gained its independence from the British on November 30, 1966. Barbados has since then maintained its historical linkages with Britain by becoming a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 

The nation became a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch. It is a member of the United Nations. 

The nation is now planning to abolish its constitutional monarchy and become a republic.