INDEPENDENCE FOR BARBADOS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31210, 7 November 1966, Page 17

INDEPENDENCE FOR BARBADOS

(N.Z J l . A .-Reuter—Copyright) BRIDGETOWN (Barbados), November 6. The Prime Minister of Barbados, Mr Errol Barrow, gained a mandate on Friday to form the Government which will lead Barbados to independence at the end of this month.

Mr Barrow’s governing Democratic Labour Party, which has been in power since December, 1961, won 14 of the 24 seats in Thursday’s voting for a new House of Assembly. It was one of the most exciting and closest electoral races in the island’s history. The Duke of Kent, cousin of the Queen, will hand over the powers of sovereignty to the new Parliament on November 30. The Caribbean island of Barbados, with its sun, surf, sand and sugar cane, has been British territory for more than 300 years. The Barbados Labour Party, led by the veteran West Indian statesman, Sir

Grantly Adams, aged 68, who hau held power for 15 years before 1961, gained eight of the remaining seats, and the Right-wing Barbados National Party the other two. The close struggle left the result of the election in doubt until the final results came in. Mr Barrow had called for a vote of confidence in his Government and the closeness of the race made it a mixed triumph for him. He will become the first Prime Minister of the new nation, and Sir Grantley Adams, who returned to the Assembly for the first time for more than eight years, is expected to be named official Leader of the Opposition.