Bostic nominated to be next president

Former Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, has been formally nominated to become Barbados’ second president.

The announcement was made by Deputy Speaker of the House Neil Rowe during Parliament on Tuesday.

This follows the submission of a joint nomination by Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne.

Parliament is to vote on the nomination in October. Once ratified by Parliament, Bostic’s appointment will take effect from November 30, when he will be sworn in.

The appointment of the island’s current President, Dame Sandra Mason, comes to an end on November 29.

Dame Sandra became the country’s first president in 2021 when Barbados transitioned to a parliamentary republic.Bostic, a retired military officer and former Member of Parliament for the City of Bridgetown from 2013 to 2022, affectionately known as The Colonel, earned national praise for his leadership of the island’s medical response to the COVID-19 pandemic during his tenure as Health Minister. (SM)