Queen Elizabeth II of Antigua and Barbuda, the country’s prime minister announced on Sunday, 11/09. He said he would hold a referendum on becoming a republic after Elizabeth’s death.
Antigua and Barbuda, in addition to the United Kingdom, is the British monarch who is currently head of state. It is one of 14 countries where Charles is located.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said a referendum could be held within the next three years, but said it was “not an act of hostility”.
He made the announcement after Charles III’s inauguration ceremony as head of state of the Caribbean nation.
Browne said he would support the referendum if he were re-elected next year, given that his party currently holds 15 of the 17 seats in Parliament.
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Despite the promise, he acknowledged that there was not much public reaction to the voting.
“I think most people didn’t even think about it,” he told ITV News.
controversy in australia
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Also Sunday, Australia, one of the countries where the British monarch is head of state, refused to hold a referendum on the issue within the next four years.
Queen Elizabeth’s death rekindled the controversy over monarchy in Australia.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, elected in May, is a Republican. But in an interview with Sky News, he dismissed the possibility of a referendum during his first term, saying “The big questions about our Constitution are not for the current term.”
“This is a time when we share the grief that many Australians are feeling right now and show our deep respect and admiration for the Queen’s contribution to Australia,” Albanese said.
In addition to the United Kingdom, Charles III, Queen II. Upon Elizabeth’s death, he became president of 14 other countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, San Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.
But many countries are reconsidering the role of the monarchy. Browne said that if his country were to become a republic, it would be “the final step towards completing independence and becoming a truly sovereign nation.”
Last year, Barbados elected its first president after parliament voted to dismiss the queen as head of state and make the country a republic.
The current government in Jamaica also says it aims to hold a referendum to become a republic.
– This text was originally published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62864577.
source: Noticias
