BARBADOS is noted for many things:  beautiful beaches, blue waters, sun, sea and sand, flying fish and the hospitality of its people which make it one of the top tourist destinations in the Caribbean. In fact, the country obtains a significant share of its foreign exchange from tourism, which took a fair amount of beating as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy however has shown some measure of resilience due to a substantial stimulus package by the Barbados Government and measures to reorient the country in the direction of a service-driven economy and an international business centre.

Much of these achievements are attributable to the leadership style of the country’s Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who recently swept the polls, winning all of the 30 parliamentary seats. She had only recently piloted the ship of state into republican status, which no doubt would have added to her stature as a leader.

Barbados is home to a significant number of Guyanese, many of whom migrated during the dark period of PNC authoritarian rule.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali extended congratulations to Prime Minister Mottley on her victory and that of her party, the Barbados Labour Party (BLP). This is her second consecutive sweep of the polls which speaks to the high quality of leadership she and her party have provided to the Barbadian people over the past years.

In his congratulatory message, President Ali said that her re-election provided an opportunity for Guyana to concretise the plans and programmes agreed between the two countries. “I look forward to our continued collaboration at the regional level as we endeavour to advance our integration process and to secure the benefits that our people deserve,” the President said.

Both Guyana and Barbados are currently examining ways to deepen relations both at the bilateral and the multilateral levels. Among the several areas of cooperation and collaboration are investments in agriculture and fisheries, oil and gas, mining, forestry, tourism, transportation, housing and water resources. Only recently, a high-level delegation from both countries met to discuss and promote business and investment opportunities between the two countries.

But it is the adherence to the norms of democratic and constitutional rule that has been a defining characteristic of the country. Unlike Guyana, when attempts were made by the APNU+AFC to rig the March 2, 2020 National and Regional Elections, elections in Barbados were incident-free and the results known and accepted by the political opposition and for that matter the population as a whole. In fact, the leader of the rival Democratic Labour Party (DLP) was among the first to have conceded defeat and offer congratulations to the victorious Mottley and her party.

These are indeed the hallmarks of a functioning democracy, something which the political opposition in Guyana would do well to emulate. Conceding defeat and being gracious in the face of defeat are virtues that should be embraced by all politicians, especially when such elections are certified as being free and fair by local and international observers.

There was no need, as was the case of Guyana, for a large contingent of local and overseas observer groups and there is generally full confidence in the body responsible for the conduct of free and fair elections.

In fact, Barbados has always been a strong advocate for free and fair elections in Guyana. Former Prime Minister, the late Owen Arthur, headed a Commonwealth delegation at the last General and Regional elections and was very vocal against electoral fraud. It is to the credit of current Prime Minister Mia Mottley, along with other regional leaders that a CARICOM team was assembled to supervise the recount exercise which validated a PPP/C victory. Indeed, it took a fair measure of arm-twisting by the international community before former President David Granger conceded defeat, but not before signalling his intention to mount a legal challenge to the results.

Apart from the strong democratic credentials of Barbados, both countries have much in common. Both are now fully independent countries with a history of colonial and neo-colonial rule. Both countries face similar existential threats from rising sea levels triggered by climate change and now a COVID-19 pandemic that is impacting adversely on the economic and social life of the two countries and the Region as a whole.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley has certainly broken the glass ceiling when it comes to the empowerment of leaders in the Caribbean and for the second time demonstrated that politics is no longer the preserve of male politicians. She has joined the ranks of several illustrious women Heads of State in the Region, including the likes of Janet Jagan of Guyana, Kamla-Persaud Bissessar in Trinidad and Tobago, Eugenia Charles of Dominica and Portia Simpson-Miller of Jamaica.

These are all outstanding women leaders whose contributions to the politics of the Region will remain a lasting testament to the power and courage of women to change the political and social landscape of the Region in deeply profound ways.

President Irfaan Ali has extended warmest congratulations to Prime Minister Mottley and the Barbadian people for their commitment to democracy and democratic norms and has pledged his full support to the government and people of Barbados in their quest to create a better life for the people of Barbados.