Barbados Labour Party surges ahead as early election results emerge

Early counting in Barbados’ general election is pointing to a commanding lead for Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP), with preliminary results suggesting the party is on course for another decisive victory.

Unofficial tallies by pollster Kevz Politics as of 10 PM ET on Wednesday night show the BLP securing 21 seats so far, with approximately 15,978 votes, representing 74.1% of the vote share. The opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has not yet secured a seat in the early count, with roughly 5,406 votes or 25.1% of ballots counted. Minor political group Friends of Democracy has polled about 170 votes, or 0.8%, also without a seat at this stage.

Counting is still ongoing across constituencies, and the figures remain preliminary.

The election, held Wednesday, February 11, will determine all 30 seats in Barbados’ House of Assembly, with 16 required for a parliamentary majority. Prime Minister Mottley called the early poll in January, dissolving Parliament and seeking a fresh mandate from voters as she aims for a historic third consecutive term in office.

During the campaign, Mottley framed the election as a democratic necessity and an opportunity for renewal, saying any leader wishing to continue must “come back to the people for a new mandate.” She also emphasized fiscal discipline and transparency, insisting that “no government can go into an election hiding the true state of the economy,” while promoting her administration’s management of Barbados’ finances since 2019.

Her Barbados Labour Party entered the race as the dominant political force, having won all but one seat in the previous general election. The main challenger, the Democratic Labour Party led by Ralph Thorne, campaigned heavily on cost-of-living pressures, crime and domestic infrastructure issues, hoping to rebuild after years of electoral setbacks.

Nearly 100 candidates contested the election across the island’s 30 constituencies, with approximately 270,000 registered voters eligible to cast ballots. Regional and international observer teams from CARICOM and the Commonwealth have been monitoring the process.

Some minor issues were reported at a handful of polling stations earlier in the day, including complaints from voters who did not find their names on lists. However, electoral authorities maintained that the process remained orderly and credible.

With counting continuing into the night, attention remains fixed on whether the BLP will secure another overwhelming parliamentary majority or if the opposition can make any electoral breakthrough as final constituency results are declared.