Pre-Crisis Phase (November 30, 1966-present): Barbados formally achieved its independence from the United Kingdom as a member of the British Commonwealth on November 30, 1966. Errol Barrow of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) was appointed as the first prime minister, and Sir John Montague Stow was appointed as Governor-General of independent Barbados on November 30, 1966. The U.S. government was permitted to maintain its naval facility, including 12 officers and 88 enlisted personnel, in St. Lucy following independence. Sir Arleigh Winston Scott was appointed as Governor-General of Barbados on May 18, 1967. Parliamentary elections were held on September 9, 1971, and the DLP won 18 out of 24 seats in the House of Assembly. The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) won six seats in the House of Assembly. Governor-General Arleigh Winston Scott died on August 9, 1976, and Sir William Douglas was appointed as Acting Governor-General of Barbados. Parliamentary elections were held on September 2, 1976, and the BLP won 17 out of 24 seats in the House of Assembly. The DLP won seven seats in the House of Assembly. John “Tom” Adams of the BLP was sworn in as prime minister on September 8, 1976. Sir Deighton Lisle Ward was appointed as Governor-General of Barbados on November 17, 1976. The U.S. government closed its naval facility in St. Lucy on March 31, 1979. The Barbados Defense Forces (BDF) was established by the government on August 9, 1979. Parliamentary elections were held on June 18, 1981, and the BLP won 17 out of 27 seats in the House of Assembly. The DLP won ten seats in the House of Assembly. Governor-General Deighton Lisle Ward died on January 9, 1984, and Sir William Douglas was appointed as acting Governor-General of Barbados on January 10, 1984. Sir Hugh Springer was appointed as Governor-General of Barbados on February 24, 1984. Prime Minister John “Tom” Adams died of a heart attack on March 11, 1985, and Bernard St. John of the BLP was sworn in as prime minister by Governor-General Hugh Springer. Parliamentary elections were held on May 28, 1986, and the DLP won 24 out of 27 seats in the House of Assembly. The BLP won three seats in the House of Assembly. Errol Barrow of the DLP was sworn in as prime minister by Governor-General Hugh Springer on May 29, 1986. Prime Minister Errol Barrow died on June 1, 1987, and Erskine Sandiford of the DLP was sworn in as prime minister by Governor-General Hugh Springer. Dame Nita Barrow was appointed as Governor-General of Barbados on June 6, 1990. Parliamentary elections were held on January 22, 1991, and the DLP won 18 out of 28 seats in the House of Assembly. The BLP won ten seats in the House of Assembly. Parliamentary elections were held on September 6, 1994, and the BLP won 19 out of 28 seats in the House of Assembly. The DLP won eight seats in the House of Assembly. Owen Arthur of the BLP was sworn in as prime minister by Governor-General Nita Barrow on September 7, 1994. Governor-General Nita Barrow died on December 19, 1995, and Sir Denys Williams was appointed as Acting Governor-General of Barbados. Sir Clifford Husbands was appointed as Governor-General of Barbados on June 1, 1996. Parliamentary elections were held on January 20, 1999, and the BLP won 26 out of 28 seats in the House of Assembly. The DLP won two seats in the House of Assembly. Parliamentary elections were held on May 21, 2003, and the BLP won 23 out of 30 seats in the House of Assembly. The DLP won seven seats in the House of Assembly. Parliamentary elections were held on January 15, 2008, and the DLP won 16 out of 30 seats in the House of Assembly. The BLP won 14 seats in the House of Assembly. David Thompson of the DLP was sworn in as prime minister on January 16, 2008. Prime Minister David Thompson died of cancer at the age of 48 on October 23, 2010. Freundel Stuart of the DLP was sworn in as interim prime minister by Governor-General Clifford Husbands on October 23, 2010. Governor-General Clifford Husbands retired on October 31, 2011, and Elliot Belgrave was appointed as Acting Governor-General. Parliamentary elections were held on February 21, 2013, and the DLP won 16 out of 30 seats in the House of Assembly. The BLP won 14 seats in the House of Assembly. Freundel Stuart of the DLP was sworn in as prime minister by Governor-General Elliott Belgrave on February 22, 2013. The European Union (EU) pledged $50 million in economic assistance to the Barbados government on February 11, 2014.
[Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), January 16, 2008, October 23, 2010, February 22, 2013.]
Selected Bibliography
Phillips, Dion E. 1988. “The Creation, Structure, and Training of the Barbados Defense Forces,” Caribbean Studies, vol. 21 (1), pp. 124-157.
Phillips, Dion E. 1990a. “Defense Policy in Barbados, 1966-1988,” Journal of Inter-American Studies and World Affairs, vol. 32 (2), pp. 69-102.
Phillips, Dion E. 1990b. “Barbados and the Militarization of the Eastern Caribbean, 1979-1985,” Latin American Perspectives, vol. 17 (1), pp. 73-85.