BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – In a stunning display of political dominance, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has secured her place in Caribbean political history by leading the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) to its third consecutive clean sweep in parliamentary elections. The February 12th general election results mirror her previous landslide victories in 2018 and 2022, making her only the second regional leader to achieve such a feat after former Grenada Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell.
The 60-year-old attorney and political veteran now stands as the first party leader to win three consecutive terms in office, maintaining the BLP’s complete control over all 30 parliamentary seats. Addressing enthusiastic supporters at party headquarters in Bridgetown during the early hours of Thursday, Mottley expressed humility at the overwhelming public mandate.
“We are humbled by your confidence and trust. Thank you. Let us now come together as one people to continue building our nation,” the BLP stated officially on its social media platforms.
The Prime Minister revealed that her new cabinet will be sworn in on Monday, with the first parliamentary session scheduled for next Friday. She reflected on her administration’s challenging journey since first taking office in 2018, noting that initial plans for economic stabilization and growth were disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, Mottley emphasized her government’s continued commitment to national transformation over the past two and a half years.
Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) faced catastrophic defeat, with even party leader Ralph Thorne losing his St. John constituency bid. Thorne, who had previously crossed the floor from the BLP to become Opposition Leader, described the results as “disappointing” without clear explanation. His election day was further marred by voting complications, as he claimed administrative errors prevented him from casting his ballot in his proper constituency.
Political analysts delivered harsh assessments of the DLP’s performance. University lecturer and former DLP president Dr. Ronnie Yearwood called for comprehensive party reform, stating that three consecutive landslide defeats sent an unmistakable message. Prominent political scientist Peter Wickham characterized the DLP campaign as “horrible” and urged immediate leadership change and talent identification.
This historic election marked another milestone as the first in Barbados’ political history to be observed by international monitoring teams from both the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth, underscoring the growing significance of Barbados’ democratic processes on the regional stage.