Opposition leader ousted as Barbados Labour party wins all 30 seats in assembly
The prime minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, has won her third election victory, with her Barbados Labour party sweeping all seats in the House of Assembly, state TV reported.
Mottley’s BLP won all 30 seats available in the lower house of parliament, unseating the opposition leader, Ralph Thorne, after the prime minister – who has built one of the strongest global profiles of any Caribbean leader – won the support of voters across the island country, CBC Barbados reported early on Thursday.
“Our mission first and foremost is to stop poor people from being poor and to remove injustice wherever it exists to create opportunities for people,” Mottley, 60, said in a victory speech.
Surrounded by supporters dressed in red, she announced that Friday would be a public bank holiday in Barbados.
Mottley promised to take care of Barbados’s democracy. Last year the country celebrated 75 years since people got the right to vote without owning property.
Her party has vowed to continue to focus on the economy, the cost of living and the country’s place on the international stage.
Thorne, speaking at the Democratic Labour party headquarters, called the result disappointing but expressed gratitude for a clean campaign.
The opposition has criticised issues of security and infrastructure, with Thorne saying policy should focus on Barbadians’ domestic priorities.
Barbados is the Caribbean’s easternmost country and is home to about 283,000 people.
Source: The Guardian
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