The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, is a man on a mission.
He made it clear that Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean island, would hold a vote to establish a republic in the second week of September 2022. He in his words specified a three-year time window for when that would occur.
Meanwhile earlier in the same month, before being crowned the new king of Antigua and Barbuda, Charles had been formally crowned king in London. All this happened before the Accession Council, Inside St. James Palace, following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
And as the heir apparent for the longest time, British history books have now inked him as the oldest person in British history to succeed to the throne at the age of 73.
Antigua and Barbuda is one of the fifteen independent nations, known as the Commonwealth realms.
While in this area, they share their sovereignty with other Commonwealth of Nations kingdoms. However, the monarch’s responsibilities as the head of state of Antigua and Barbuda are entirely distinct from those of any other country.
But why would Antigua and Barbuda want to transition from Monarchy to Republic?
The transition to a republic, according to Prime Minister Gastone Brown, was the last step to breaking the cycle of independence. This would guarantee that the Antiguan people have a legitimate claim to sovereignty. However, according to the country’s prime minister, the move was “not an act of hatred” and that Commonwealth membership would not be revoked.
Browne’s promise comes amid a burgeoning republican movement in the Caribbean, where Barbados last year voted to abolish the British monarchy and Jamaica’s ruling party has hinted that it may follow.
However, Browne, who is running for reelection next year, stated in an interview with ITV that he was not reacting to a general call for a vote from Antiguans.
The 100,000-member country obtained independence from Britain in 1981, but it is one of the 15 Commonwealth countries that continue to have the United Kingdom’s monarch as their head of state. The Commonwealth is a political organization made up primarily of former British colonies.
The Monarchy Vs Republic Which One Is Better?
There are two varieties of monarchies: absolute and constitutional. While absolute monarchies grant a monarch unfettered power, constitutional monarchies place restrictions on the monarch’s authority as outlined in the constitution.
For Antigua And Barbuda, the kind of Monarchy they use is the one known as Constitutional monarchy. One advantage of this is that its governance is stable and predictable. Here there are no circumstances when citizens must choose “for the lesser of two evils” because secession is initiated by the family that controls the government.
The second advantage is that a ruler and the timing of their ascent to that leadership position are determined by particular rules and laws that are in existence.
A monarchy’s drawback on the other side is that its subjects hardly ever have a choice in who becomes their ruler. Because everything is predetermined, a society might be forced to put an abusive person in charge for many years with little opportunity to escape.
Another disadvantage is that competence is not given when it comes from the top. Look here In a monarchy, new rulers are chosen from the line of succession. Normally, this method is based on familial lineage, however, if a leader doesn’t leave any successors, they may choose a particular person.
This means that while some people can benefit from leadership training at a young age so they are prepared to take the throne, it is not always practicable. Some people can be trained to be political leaders, although they may not succeed in that capacity. Some people might not even desire to be in charge.
The republican system of governance, on the other hand, has the benefit of being representative. To put it another way, officeholders are chosen by the general populace and elected to serve the common good.
In a big, diversified republic, people may form factions or special interest groups, but they may work against one another rather than for the good of the whole.
Politicians may mislead the majority of the populace in republics with poor educational standards to gain power.
Additionally, they might be expensive to operate, which is a drawback. A lot of resources are frequently needed and used to organize elections. In less developed nations, this might not be a good thing. Republican rule is most effective in smaller towns. Legislatively enacted laws cannot become law unless they follow certain established procedures.
Because of this, following the constitution’s rules may take some time. Republicans should not differ from one another in any way.
When comparing these two systems, a state republic is superior to a monarchy since it provides the people with the chance to choose their government, as opposed to a monarchy where the leadership is determined by family succession.
