The government of St Kitts and Nevis has disclosed that it will consult voters on becoming a republic – as its Prime Minister said the country was “not totally free” so long as King Charles remained head of state.
Prime Minister Terrance Drew said he would begin the process of a public consultation on whether the West Indies nation should become a republic.
In a chat with BBC, the nation’s leader averred that he would welcome an apology from the monarchy over its historic links to the slave trade.
It is germane to note that St Kitts and Nevis were among the first Caribbean islands where English colonisers permanently settled.
Recall that King Charles had visited in the past and on a 2019 trip received a tour of the imposing Brimstone Hill Fortress which had been built and maintained by enslaved Africans.
PM Drew also told the BBC he would welcome reparations for slavery.
In his words: “We are not just speaking about a monetary contribution, because we are not acting like victims.
“It is about real changes even within the systems that are still affecting people of African descent in negative ways.”
It is believed that reparations could include cancelling the national debt of certain countries or formal apologies.
Reports have it that other Commonwealth countries, such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda are planning on holding referendums on keeping the monarch as the head of state.
Barbados is the most recent former Commonwealth realm to become a republic by a vote of parliament in 2021.
Recall that recently, Buckingham Palace said it was co-operating with an independent study into the royal family’s links to the slave trade.
Welcoming the move, Prime Minister Drew said: “I think that acknowledging that… something wrong was done, acknowledging it and apologising for it, is a step in the right direction.”
