Breaking: Barbadians head to the polls next month as PM calls elections

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has officially declared February 11, 2026 as the date for the nation’s next general election. The announcement came during a formal ceremony on Saturday evening, setting in motion the democratic process for the Caribbean nation.

In her address to the nation, Prime Minister Mottley confirmed she has advised President Sandra Mason to dissolve Parliament on Monday, January 19, effectively concluding the current parliamentary session. The administration has simultaneously initiated comprehensive preparations for the upcoming electoral process, with Nomination Day scheduled for January 27, when candidates will formally register their participation.

This election marks the first parliamentary contest since Mottley’s Barbados Labour Party achieved an unprecedented political victory in 2022, securing all 30 seats in the House of Assembly. The previous election represented a historic moment in Barbadian politics, delivering the first clean sweep in the nation’s electoral history.

The upcoming vote will test whether Prime Minister Mottley maintains her extraordinary popularity following her party’s constitutional reform agenda and economic management. Political analysts are closely watching whether any opposition parties can break the ruling party’s parliamentary monopoly in this forthcoming election.

Barbados, a stable democracy within the Commonwealth, continues its tradition of peaceful political transitions as it prepares for this significant electoral event amidst ongoing regional and global challenges.