Pres Ali congratulates PM Mottley on sweeping 3rd-term election victory

– looks forward to further strengthening bilateral relations

President Dr Irfaan Ali is looking forward to further strengthening ties with Guyana’s Caribbean Community (CARICOM) sister nation, Barbados.
The Head of State made this remark in his congratulatory message to his colleague, Mia Amor Mottley, who has been re-elected for a historic third term in what is being described as a clean sweep of the February 11 General Elections in Barbados.
Mottley’s Barbados Labour Party (BLP) has secured all 30 seats in the country’s House of Assembly. According to President Ali, PM Mottley’s “emphatic and historic victory” demonstrates the level of leadership and the confidence that the Barbadian citizens have both in her and the party.
“In sweeping the polls with commanding authority, Prime Minister Mottley and the Barbados Labour Party have once again earned the renewed trust and confidence of the people of Barbados.
A third successive mandate and a clean sweep of all 30 seats speak to how much her leadership and that of her party resonated in the homes, hearts, and hopes of the Barbadian people,” the Guyanese leader posited in a Facebook post on Thursday.
To this end, President Ali reiterated Guyana’s commitment to continue deepening the already strong ties with the island nation.
“Guyana looks forward with renewed optimism to strengthening the fraternal bonds that unite our two nations. Our shared history and common aspirations form a sturdy bridge across the Caribbean,” the Head of State noted in this message.
Similarly, Guyana’s Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo extended congratulations to Prime Minister Mottley on her historic third consecutive victory in Wednesday’s Barbados General Elections.
According to Jagdeo, “Securing such a decisive mandate for a third time is a remarkable achievement and a strong endorsement of her stewardship. I look forward to continuing the close partnership between Guyana and Barbados as we work together to advance the interests of our people.”
Mottley, 60, is the second leader to serve more than two consecutive terms in Barbados.
On Thursday afternoon, she was sworn in as Prime Minister by the President of Barbados, Jeffrey Bostic.
“I accept this responsibility with humility and with resolve. The people of Barbados have given me a mandate, and I am fully committed to honouring it through service and hard work,” Mottley stated in a Facebook post following her swearing in.
She went on to give thanks especially to the BLP, candidates, constituents, and her family for their steadfast support throughout this journey. “Most importantly, I thank the people of Barbados for placing your trust in me once again. Now is the time to come together. The work continues, and we will move forward as one nation,” the re-elected Prime Minister of Barbados stated.
According to a Reuters report, this is the third time Mottley’s party has won all 30 seats, unseating opposition leader Ralph Thorne, who ran for the BLP in the last campaign, in an election that pitted her more global-facing approach against the opposition’s focus on Barbadians’ domestic needs.
In her victory speech after the landslide result, however, Mottley said the victory carried a responsibility, not an entitlement. She said, according to a Barbados Today’s article, “We did not come simply to hold office. We have come to make Barbados better and to make your lives better.”
The article further stated that Mottley also pledged renewed focus on issues raised on the campaign trail.
“We do not turn our eyes away from the concerns of our constituents, constituency by constituency. Whether it is traffic or roads, or the state of our healthcare, or indeed the issue of public safety, I give you this assurance tonight: this team will be required to be able to make progress on all of these areas,” she was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the article added that Mottley has signalled a swift return to governance following the brief celebrations.
“I expect that the Cabinet will have to be sworn in on Monday,” she said. “I have asked Parliament to get the business of Parliament ready for an opening no later than next Friday. We will do our rest and celebrate, but come Monday we start the work of the next five years of transforming this nation.”
In the meantime, Mottley has declared today (Friday) a national public holiday in Barbados as well as announced a national thanksgiving and celebration rally for Saturday afternoon – Valentine’s Day – at the National Botanical Gardens.
Barbados is the Caribbean’s easternmost country, home to around 283,000 people, and a little over half the size of Singapore.