by Curlan Campbell
- GNRC Chairman renewed call for State of Grenada to begin national conversation on republicanism
- Barbados become region’s newest republic in November 2021
- At least 6 Caribbean countries have suggested removing British Monarch as head of state
Arley Gill, Chairman of the Grenada National Reparations Committee (GNRC), renewed the call for the islands of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique to cut their ties to the British Monarchy following Barbados’ removal of Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state to become the region’s newest republic in November 2021.
This call was made during the ceremony to mark the Trevelyan family’s historic acknowledgement and reconciling their ancestors’ participation in the transatlantic slave trade and the dehumanisation of African people for profit. The Trevelyan family, represented by 7 members and led by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist Laura Trevelyan, officially apologised on Monday, 27 February 2023, to the Grenadian people for their family’s role in the enslavement of 1,004 Africans trafficked to work on sugar plantations in Grenada.
Since Queen Elizabeth II’s death, some countries could alter their relationship with their former British colonial masters as their head of state. In the Caribbean, at least 6 countries — including Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica and Belize have suggested they want to remove the British Monarch as their head of state.
Addressing Prime Minister Hon. Dickon Mitchell and his cabinet colleagues in attendance at the Reparations Forum to mark the Trevelyan family’s signing of a letter of apology, Gill stated that it is now time to start the process towards having a national conversation on the topic of republicanism. “A conversation on Grenada becoming a republic and moving away graciously from the English Monarchy as head of state must commence in earnest. As Grenadians, we are very aware that on 2 occasions, we went to the polls to vote yah or nay for the Caribbean Court of justice to be our final appellate court. On both occasions, we said nay. This issue of the Caribbean Court of Justice is worth revisiting, for it is not merely a legal issue. It is an issue that goes fundamentally to the ideals of an independent nation.”
A member of the audience questioned the Prime Minister, likening his acceptance speech of pledging allegiance to the King, upon assuming office as prime minister to that of the Jewish people pledging allegiance to Nazi Germany.
Prime Minister Mitchell replied, “Change is more than desired wishful or thinking that we as a people will be required to have the conversation to accept that we do not wish to pledge allegiance to the King. To accept that we do not wish to be part of a monarchial system of Government and then to collectively agree on the steps to change that, but until we are prepared to do so, and I say my part in this is to speak about it and help lead the process for it to happen… but as a country, it will take a majority decision via a referendum.”
Gill described the day’s event as a day of remembrance in his welcome remarks. “It’s a day to remember our ancestors and their descendants, and it is finally a day of recognition of the harms of slavery and a moment of global reckoning that is long overdue.” He said, “This apology and financial commitment from Laura and the Trevelyan family should serve as a clarion call to other families, institutions, and other governments in Europe to acknowledge wrongs, apologise and commit to repairing the harms done by their ancestors.”
Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, underscored the need to recognise that despite reparations being owed to the descendants of enslaved Africans, no dollar amount will suffice. “Britain had 200 years of free labour from 20 million people in the Caribbean; how could you put a value on that? The value of that can be seen in the industrialisation of Britain; that’s where you see it when you drive through Birmingham city, Manchester, and Liverpool — when you drive through their industrial complex of Britain. That’s where you see the input of 200 years of free labour from 20 million people; trillions of pounds of value.”
As part of the Trevelyan family’s ongoing efforts at reconciliation, in August 2023, on Laura Trevelyan’s 55th birthday, she will donate £100,000 from her BBC pension to establish an education fund at the UWI Open Campus Grenada. The GNRC, The UWI and the Government of Grenada will determine how that fund will be used. The Trevelyan family at the signing indicated that other family members plan to donate money towards bursaries for the UWI Grenada Open Campus Initiative and support the Grenada Education and Development Programme (GrenED).
This should not be up for debate. Time to do away with king and queen.
Not only that is time to truly dismantle the colonialism with the institutions in Grenada. For starters easy access to land ownership and finance.
No. The monarchy is an important part of the constitution. It is what anchors and upholds the functioning of our parliamentary system. The monarchy isn’t colonialism, because it’s a wholly Grenadian institution. The monarchy is a perfect example of an institution spoken about by the late great Norman Manley on Jamaica when he said:
“I make no apology for the fact that we did not embark upon any original or novel exercise in constitutional building. Let us not make the mistake of describing as colonial, institutions which are part and parcel of the heritage of this country. If we have any confidence in our own individuality and our own personality, we would absorb these things and incorporate them into own use as part of the heritage we are not ashamed of. I am not ashamed of any institution which exists in this country merely because it derives from Britain”
What a insult to the Grenadian people. The mental is in place, so you might as well put on the physical shackles….
Outrageous..
This insistence that anyone who disagrees with you is a “mental slave”, whatever that is supposed to mean, is what is insulting. The monarchy does not enslave us. It does not hold us back. The ancestors of the royal family’s involvement with slavery was very limited. The crown in this country has been a wholly Grenadian institution since 1974. The King of the UK has no power here. Our monarch is the King of Grenada, legally a completely different person. That is who our MPs and ministers swear allegiance to.
The monarchy provides an important stabilising and nonpartisan element to our constitution. Instead of a revolving door of politicians and government cronies in the top job, representing and beholden to their party, the apex of the state is occupied by something separate and dignified.
Absolutely not. The monarchy is an incredibly important part of our constitutional framework, one which many people do not quite appreciate the importance of. Becoming a republic is a terrible idea.
The King and the Governor-General are non-partisan and politically neutral. The monarchy ensures our head of state is independent of our political parties and not beholden to them. The King (and by extension the Governor-General) as head of state has extensive constitutional powers to act in a crisis situation. We’ve seen throughout the commonwealth situations where the G-G has protected democracy from authoritarian politicians. Even right here home in Grenada we’ve seen the importance of the monarchy. In the aftermath of the 1983 invasion the monarchy, via Governor-General Sir Paul Scoon, was the only legal authority in the country, and the monarchy subsequently played the central role in restoring democracy. Governor-General Dame Cecile La Grenade appointed NDC members to the senate after the 2018 election, in order to provide the NNP government with a parliamentary opposition. A president from NNP would never have done that.
A republic with a president, elected by and for the ruling party, would be a disaster. It would politicise the very apex of the state, and give these important reserve powers to a politician who is a servant of the government. How can we expect an NDC politician, elected president by the NDC, to keep an NDC government in check? And vice versa with an NNP president. It just wouldn’t work. The King and the Governor-General are extremely important in keeping our country’s political system stable and well functioning.
We also forget the diplomatic might of the monarchy. The late Queen Elizabeth II on multiple occasions wrote diplomatic letters on Grenada’s behalf in her capacity as Queen of Grenada. This opened the doors to Grenada internationally many times, when foreign governments otherwise dismissed our small country as unimportant and not worth listening to. And what about the royal awards? Remaining a monarchy makes Grenadians eligible for some of the most prestigious, highly sought after and important honours and awards in the world.
A republic would solve absolutely nothing. Quite the opposite, it would cause more problems. It would also cost a small fortune. It would also not make us any more independent, because Grenada isn’t under the British monarchy, we’re under the Grenadian monarchy. Legally they’re two entirely different things. The King of Grenada and King of the UK are legally two different people. To say that we are under or have “ties to” the British monarchy is wrong. Just as wrong as saying that Australia is under the Antiguan monarchy.
Is this your best argument to continue colonialism.
Your argument is justification of perpetuating colonialism. The system that yoy speak off is only in benefit of colonialism. The fact colonialism was not fully dismantled within Grenada’s institutions is no reason to keep it.
Grenada is a sovereign state. The longer Grenada takes to fully dismantle colonialism, the better your argument sounds.
It would have been great to fully dismantle immediately after independence. The psychological damage has been done and it is so ingrained in the people that they inferior and not capable of making their own decisions.
Your Argument proves the process to dismantle colonialism in Grenada should be expedited. There should be no referendum. Just get on with removing the king and queen.
Before you decide to make major changes identify both the harm and the good it might achieve.