Antigua and Barbuda plans to maintain a referendum on turning into a republic in the subsequent 3 years, the Caribbean kingdom’s high minister instructed British media Saturday, a circulate that might see King Charles III eliminated as its head of state.
“This is an issue that must be taken to a referendum…in the subsequent, probably, 3 years,” Prime Minister Gaston Browne instructed ITV News quickly after a neighborhood rite showed Charles III because the country’s King following Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
The tiny Caribbean island kingdom, which have become unbiased from Britain in 1981, is one in every of 14 Commonwealth individuals who proportion the United Kingdom monarch as their head of state.
Brown stated turning into a republic became “a very last step to finish the circle of independence to make certain we’re honestly a sovereign kingdom,” however pressured a referendum became “now no longer an act of hostility” and might now no longer contain retiring Commonwealth membership.
Antigua’s high minister did now no longer right away respond to a request for comment, and Reuters became now no longer capable of independently confirm the proposal.
The kingdom has a populace of much less than 100,000, in step with professional data.
PM Browne’s pledge comes amid a developing republican push throughout the Caribbean region, with Barbados balloting to get rid of the United Kingdom monarchy closing year, and the ruling birthday birthday celebration in Jamaica having signaled it can follow.
Nonetheless, Browne – who’s up for re-election subsequent year – stated he became now no longer responding to a substantial push from Antiguans to maintain a vote.
“I assume maximum humans have not even stricken to consider it,” he instructed ITV.