Mia Mottley sworn in for historic third term as Barbados Prime Minister

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley on Thursday was sworn in for a third term during a brief ceremony at State House. She took the Oath of Office in the presence of President Jeffrey Bostic, family members, and other specially invited guests.

Mottley won a historic third election victory in Wednesday’s polls, with her Barbados Labour Party (BLP) sweeping all seats in the House of Assembly. The party secured all 30 seats for the third time, unseating opposition leader Ralph Thorne, who had run for the BLP in the last campaign. The election pitted Mottley’s more global-facing approach against the opposition’s focus on domestic issues.

“Our mission first and foremost is to stop poor people from being poor and to remove injustice wherever it exists to create opportunities for people,” Mottley, 60, said in her victory speech. She is the second leader in Barbados history to serve more than two consecutive terms.

“The people have spoken, and we respect their voices,” said the opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP). Thorne did not cast a ballot because he was not registered in the district where he was living and competing, according to state TV network CBC. He had been elected there in 2022 as a BLP member but moved to the DLP in 2024.

The head of the Caribbean Community’s electoral observation mission noted concerns about inaccuracies on the voting register before the election. Some opposition candidates said this could have justified a delay, but the electoral commission maintained that citizens had time to correct any issues and that the process was legitimate.

“This afternoon, I was sworn in as Prime Minister by the President of Barbados, His Excellency Lt. Col. The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic. I accept this responsibility with humility and with resolve. The people of Barbados have given me a mandate, and I am fully committed to honouring it through service and hard work. I thank God for His guidance. I thank the Barbados Labour Party, our candidates, my constituents, my family and my parents for their steadfast support throughout this journey. Most importantly, I thank the people of Barbados for placing your trust in me once again. I also wish to congratulate Wilfred Abrahams on being sworn in as Attorney General. Now is the time to come together. The work continues, and we will move forward as one nation,” Mottley wrote on Facebook.