Ruling party defeated in Barbados

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The ruling Barbados Labour Party has lost general elections after three terms in office, according to partial results from the Caribbean island.

Outgoing Prime Minister Owen Arthur conceded defeat to the Democratic Labour Party, led by David Thompson.

The results showed the DLP winning 20 out of 30 seats in parliament.

Barbados has one of the strongest economies in the Caribbean, but there has been recent discontent about rising living costs.

"The desire for change was powerful," Mr Arthur told Reuters, speaking from his constituency.

"I gave my very best in this campaign [and] don't know that I could have done anything differently."

Mr Thompson said he would "focus on issues that matter most to the people" as the island's new leader.

"Leadership is really about building a team, it's not about me personally," he said.

Allegations

Before the election Mr Arthur's Barbados Labour Party held 24 out of 30 seats in parliament.

In the run up to the vote, Mr Arthur had accused his rivals of taking donations from Taiwan, in return for promising to switch allegiance from China.

The opposition denied the charge.

The Democratic Labour Party had in turn suggested that Mr Arthur had access to undeclared bank accounts, an allegation that Mr Arthur rejected.

Barbados, which gained independence from Britain in 1966, has a population of 280,000.

It has developed its economy largely through high-end tourism and offshore financial services.