PM Mottley hints more Senate changes as youngest member sworn in

F urther changes to the Senate of Barbados are expected in the coming months, Prime Minister Mia Mottley said on Tuesday as Khaleel Kothdiwala was sworn in as its youngest member at age 23. Mottley said Barbados must prepare its young people to lead the country, stressing the importance of experience and mentorship to ensure a smooth transition when they are called upon to serve. Damien Griffith was previously the youngest senator, appointed in February 2008 at age 24. Speaking at State House, Mottley said young people must understand what was required of them, not only in government but in every sphere of activity, so they could step into leadership roles when necessary. She said: “We have to at this age also ensure that there is continuity in Barbados and that we are exposing our young people. “That is the lesson that we want to share with the country,” Mottley said.

“That duty really comes first. ” The Prime Minister said she had ensured that three young people under 35 sat on the government benches in the Upper Chamber. She acknowledged that the President had also chosen young people for the Senate. “Our young people must be exposed, must be given the opportunity to shape the world which they are going into, but more importantly, we must understand the basics and essentials of what good governance looks like,” she said. She warned this was especially important at a time when autocracies and autocratic governments outnumbered democracies worldwide. Mottley, who entered the Senate at 25, reflected on her three years as one of two opposition senators, saying the experience helped her develop a broader understanding of policy. “So whether it was finance or health or environment or sports or security or family or whatever, you had to prepare yourself,” she said. She…