Peoples colonised by the United Kingdom to form realms of the British Empire have taken a variety of routes towards becoming independent republics, and many have chosen to remain within today’s Commonwealth. While some of these processes have been purely legislative, others have not avoided conflict. A number are linked in part to changing political appetites in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly in relation to Africa. Here we’ve gathered just some of the examples of countries that have become a republic, noting that each has its own unique constitutional requirements that may not offer straightforward analogies to our situation in Australia.
Barbados
Barbados became a republic in 2021, under the Charter of Barbados 2021. They now have a prime minister who remains head of government, and their head of state is the President appointed by the Parliament.
Unlike in Australia, Barbados’ constitution did not require a referendum for amendments to be made, and in this instance it was introduced as a Bill.
Fiji
Fiji has been a republic since 1987, when, through a series of coups, led by Lieutenant Colonel Sitiveni Rabuka overthrew the government and the monarchy. The United Nations denounced the coup, but eventually a new Constitution was enacted in 1990 (since replaced by the Constitution of 2013).
The Prime Minister remains head of the government, and the head of state is the President. The President is appointed by the Parliament.
The Gambia
The Gambia held a successful referendum for a republic in 1970 (after the first was held with its independence in 1965 but failed). The Prime Minister assumed the office of President which combines the roles of head of state and head of government. There are no term limits for the president embedded into the Constitution.
Ghana
Ghana officially gained independence in 1957 and became a republic in 1960 after a referendum. The first presidential elections were held simultaneously with the republic question. The current Constitution was adopted in 1992.The President is both head of state and head of government. They are directly elected using a two-round systems.
India
India is a parliamentary republic, with their head of state, the President, appointed by an electoral college.
Through Partition, India became independent in 1947. A new constitution was drafted which came into effect on 26 January 1950.
Like many republics, India remains in the Commonwealth and still recognises the King as the Head of the Commonwealth through the London Declaration.
Ireland
Ireland officially became a republic in 1949 through the Republic of Ireland Act 1948.
The head of state of Ireland is the President, appointed by a direct popular vote. While they have had a President since 1937 and the implementation of their Constitution, the Constitution had not explicitly stated who the head of state was, and whether it was the President or King George VI.
Ireland remains outside of the Commonwealth, having chosen not to rejoin even once the rules allowed it.
Kenya
The Republic of Kenya was proclaimed in 1964, abolishing the monarchy. Many see this as the legacy of the Mau Mau rebellion.
Constitutional reforms were undertaken and brought in in 2010 to change the system of government. The President is both the head of state and head of government, and is appointed by a direct popular vote. Kenya remains in the Commonwealth.
Malta
Malta gained its independence in 1964 but retained Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state until 1974 when a republic was declared by the government. While remaining in the Commonwealth, Malta also joined the European Union in 2004.
The head of state is the President and is appointed by the House of Representatives of Malta.
Mauritius
In Mauritius, pro-independence parties won the 1967 general election, and the subsequent government passed a bill enacting independence in 1968. Mauritius remained a constitutional monarchy with the Queen as head of state until 1992 when it was proclaimed a republic by the parliament.
Mauritius retains a Prime Minister as head of government, with a President as head of state. The President of Mauritius is elected by members of the National Assembly, on a motion made by the Prime Minister.
South Africa
South Africa became a republic in 1961, after a successful referendum in 1960. As this took place during apartheid, the vote was restricted to white South Africans, as all votes were until the 1992 apartheid referendum.
The President of South Africa acts as both head of government and head of state, and is appointed by the National Assembly of South Africa.
As an additional note, the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, made his ‘Winds of Change’ speech in Cape Town in 1960. This marked a key change in policy for the Conservative Party, who would no longer stand in the way of countries wishing to move towards independence.
United States of America
When people hear the words republic and president they often think of the USA, though these terms are of course not limited to that country.
The USA celebrates its independence every year on 4 July, which is the anniversary of the signing of the 1776 Declaration of Independence. This came about during the American War of Independence (1775 – 1783) which overthrew Britain’s rule and led to the founding of the United States of America.
The story of American independence has memorably been told in Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton.
The USA has three branches of government, defined by the Constitution. Their Head of State, the President, is appointed by an electoral college, formed by electors from each state appointed by procedures determined by each state’s legislature.