Barbados’ prime minister and global climate action champion, Mia Amor Motley, is on course for a third consecutive term in office, projections suggest as voters head to the polls on Wednesday.
Motley was the first woman leader of the country after independence in 1966 A strong international advocate for climate action And support for small and weak countries has made her an influential and popular global and regional leader, experts say.
In recent times A nationwide pollnearly 80% of decided voters interviewed said they would vote for the motley ruling Barbados Labor Party (BLP).
The survey, commissioned by local outlets Nation and Starcom, also gauged support for party leaders and found 61.2% of respondents favored Motley, compared to just 18% for opposition Democratic Labor Party (DLP) leader Ralph Thorne.
Only 10% said they would vote beyond the two main parties.
The poll predicts a consolidation of support for the BLP, which enjoyed landslide victories in 2018 and 2022 under Motley’s leadership.
But it also shows voter apathy, with nearly half of voters saying they are undecided or will not vote.
High cost of living and crime were identified as the most important concerns for voters, with the DLP accusing the government of breaking promises and He pledged to give priority to crime reductionreduce taxes and improve affordability.
The BLP defended its record, Arguing It kept its promises to voters “despite facing international crises, global uncertainty and instability” caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, volcanic eruptions and tropical cyclones.
According to the World BankBarbados’ economy continues to show resilience through 2024 and into 2025, with real GDP growth of 4.0% in 2024, driven by “robust activity in tourism, construction and business services”.
On the ground in Barbados, retired manager Orville Brown agreed. “When things are tough internationally, you need someone who can stand up and speak for the country. I believe in that more than promises. So yes, I am supporting the government again, but I hope they will deal better with prices and crime this time,” he said.
But construction worker Anthony Sobers said it was time for a change. “This government is very comfortable. Everything is centralised, everything is tight and the common people feel it. Prices are high, crime is high, and when you complain, you feel like you are talking to yourself. I am ready for change. Ready to restructure the DLP, but someone has to start holding this government right,” he said.
Caribbean political analyst Peter Wickham said the vote would be based on “the viability of the DLP and confidence in Prime Minister Motley”.
“We have seen elections across the region where the issues and the cost of living are the same [and] Crime, and in various cases governments have won and governments have lost, “so it’s a concern, but it’s not the real deciding factor. The real deciding factor is, ‘Is the opposition viable?’ and ‘Do we like the government even though we have problems?’.
He said: “I don’t believe anyone expects that [Mottley] will lose I think the conversations we are having are about the degree of success – will she win all the seats again or will she win with a slim majority. But I don’t know that there are many serious commentators who believe she is likely to lose.
University of the West Indies expert George Belle conceded that the opposition party was unlikely to achieve “the level required to win the election”.
“The Barbados Labor Party is coming off two historic victories in the general election where it won all the seats. That means there are some constituencies that have a huge swing in favor of the Barbados Labor Party. It will take a huge swing to overturn the majority of the Barbados Labor Party,” he said.
