Keeping or ditching the monarchy is a controversial affair. Everyone’s got their opinions; whether the Commonwealth is still relevant in an increasingly multicultural Australia, whether monarchies are inherently classist and conflict with egalitarian ideals, who the hell we would end up with as President if left to our own devices.
The simplest thing to do is to look to history and at the other countries that have left the safety of the Commonwealth Realm’s nest and spread their wings as fledging republics of their own. Did they dissolve in to anarchy, or emerge with a sense of national pride and their own fancy people to wander around and stand in front of things?
MAURITIUS - 1992
After declaring independence from British rule in 1968, this island melting pot had a brief 24 year transitional period of being all grown up, but still calling Queen Elizabeth II Mum. In 1992 they finally cut ties and amended the constitution to declare themselves a republic, with the Governor General being elected as President.
And now? Things seem to be chugging along just fine. They’re highly ranked for economic and political freedom, they’re known as one of the most multicultural nations on earth with people of African, French, Indian, Chinese and British heritage existing happily alongside each other, and apparently it looks like this.
All in all? Thumbs up, Mauritius!
FIJI - 1987
Fiji’s road to republicanism was a little rockier, involving a military coup d’etat and the resignation of the Governor General after he, at first, refused to resign and then realized nobody planned to pay attention to him anymore anyway.
That wasn’t really the end of the story, and there was a second coup in 1987, another in 2000 and another in 2006. There’s been a few other rough patches, including the suspension of the constitution in 2009, and being temporarily suspended from both the Pacific Islands Forum and the Commonwealth Of Nations for pesky little problems like failing to hold democratic elections.
Thankfully, only a few months ago their Commonwealth suspension was downgraded to a suspension from the councils, meaning they could participate in the all-important 2014 Commonwealth Games.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO - 1976
We appear to be seeing a recurring theme here as tropical island nations decide their interests are not best represented by a damp island nation half a world away. After British rule ended in 1962, the Queen was represented by a series of Governor Generals, who transitioned fairly easily in to the role of President in 1976.
Apart from a hiccup in 1990 involving 114 members of terrorist organization Hamaat al Musilmeen holding the government hostage for six days in an attempted coup, Trinidad and Tobago have seen a relatively smooth transition in to republicanism, due in no small part to large reserves of oil and gass.
They also know how to throw a Carnival. Good work!
MALTA - 1974
Malta spent several thousand years being considered an important strategic asset in the Mediterranean rather than a country in its own right, with Phoenicians, Romans, Moorish, Normans, Sicilians, Habsburg Spain, Knights of St. John, French and the British all calling the island home at some point, or, more accurately, ‘the place from which we wage war’. Understandably this got tiring, so in 1974 Malta amended its constitution without a great deal of fuss and became a republic.
The country then adopted a pretty solid policy of neutrality in 1980, taking no sides in the Cold War and hosting the first meeting between Bush Snr and Gorbachev which signaled the end of the stalemate.
So we think it’s fair to call that a win.
CEYLON - 1972
Ceylon might just remind you of tea these days, primarily because when they got rid of the Queen, they adopted the name The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Their road to republicanism was rockier than most, being preceded by a coup and a Marxist insurrection, and leading to an MP assassination in 1975 and the eventual slide in to civil war.
While the LTTE were defeated in 2009, the war has had a devastating effect on the country, killing 100,000, displacing 300,000, and leaving unresolved ethnic tension.
SIERRA LEONE - 1971
The signs in Sierra Leone were already a little troubling, with the African country burning through six Governor Generals and a whopping eight prime ministers during the ten year period of constitutional monarchy.
They rollicked ahead anyway, until government corruption and resource mismanagement led to the breakout of civil war in 1991 that lasted for a decade and devastated the country, killing 50,000 people and leaving 2 million refugees.
Despite large reserves of diamonds, titanium, and gold, Sierra Leone is an exceptionally poor country, with about 70% of its population living in poverty.
Nobody can say what the future of the country would have been had they remained a part of the Commonwealth Of Nations, but it’s fair to say its elected leaders have been less than stellar.
GAMBIA, GUYANA, MALAWAI, KENYA, NIGERIA, UGANDA, TANGANYIKA, SOUTH AFRICA, GHANA -1960 - 1970
The 60s were a period of change for us all, and while everyone else was wearing miniskirts and rocking out to the Beatles, 1960 began a series of referendums and constitutional amendments through Africa which ended in the last realm of the empire, Sierra Leone, leaving in 1971.
Results have been mixed, with Gambia, Ghana, and Kenya flourishing, Guyana and Nigeria alternating between stable government and periods of military insurgency, and Malawai, Tanzania, South Africa, and Uganda suffering disruptive governments and civil wars which have killed hundreds of thousands, squandered economic wealth, and left ongoing damage to the landscape, the economy, and national cohesion and identity.
PAKISTAN - 1956
Pakistan became an Islamic and Parliamentary Republic in 1956 early in to Queen Elizabeth II’s rule. The government was stalled by a military coup in 1958 and a war with India in 1965 that led to economic downfall and internal instability, the technical term for which is ‘Less Than Great’. The next four decades were a succession of wars, coup, and democratic interruptions, and it was not until 2007 that a democratic government celebrated its full five year term. There is currently a tenuous peace in Pakistan, but the turmoil of the past six decades of conflict has taken its toll, with millions dead, millions more displaced, and the country suffering from economic, political and racial pressures.
INDIA - 1950
The constitution in 1950 put in place a secular and democratic republic. While its remained a democracy with civil liberties, an activist Supreme Court, and an independent press, the country has been shaped by poverty and religious and caste-based violence. So while it could hardly be described as smooth sailing, their political institutions are steady as Mother England’s.
IRELAND - 1948
Of course it started here. After fighting for independence from the occupying English for centuries, Ireland was formally recognized as a republic in 1948. Much of the 20th century was marred by conflict along its northern border with its still-loyal neighbours, but since 1999 Ireland and Northern Ireland have cooperated.
Ireland remains one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with one of the most fun accents to imitiate.
The results? In terms of success stories, it's about even. So who knows?
