Barbados Seeks To Amend Law: 18- Year-olds could Become Senators

Mia Mottley

After the momentous victory last week, the Barbados Labor Party was finally sworn in to Cabinet on Wednesday. One of Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s first proposals to parliament is for a constitutional amendment to allow an eighteen year old to serve as senator. Her reasoning is if young people are old enough to vote, they should be eligible to serve. Currently, Barbados’ constitution stipulates that senators must be twenty-one years old.  Khaleel Kothdiwala is the first candidate that Mottley has in mind to appoint. The Prime Minister also reached out to the Democratic Labor Party, which had the second highest votes in the election, to give an opportunity to appoint two senators.  Here is more from Caribbean Week in Review.

Mia Mottley, Prime Minister, the Republic of Barbados,

“Just as I did on the last occasion, I now formally repeat the offer of the Government of Barbados, having receive the opinion this morning, to offer to the party receiving the second highest votes in the election preceding,  in the absence of a leader of opposition, the opportunity to appoint two opposition senators. This is who we are as Barbadians. And victory must never allow us to believe that there is a license to obliterate those for who others voted. This is who we’re raised to be as Barbadians. And I trust and pray that on this occasion the officers and members of the Democratic Labour Party will recognize that this is not a political trick. That this is a genuine desire to keep our multi-party democracy alive.”

However, the D.L.P rejected the offer saying that there is no basis in law for it.