Elections in Antigua and Barbuda
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Elections in Antigua and Barbuda take place in the framework of a
parliamentary democracy
.
Electoral system
Governor-General
; three (including the chair) on the advice of the Prime Minister and two on the advice of the leader of the opposition.
House of Representatives
The
House of Representatives has 17 elected members and two unelected members, the Attorney General and the Speaker.[2] Elections for the House are held every five years, although early elections can take place if Parliament is dissolved by the Prime Minister
. By-elections must take place within 120 days of a member vacating their seat.
Members are elected via a plurality in
single-member constituencies.[1] Voters must be aged 18 or over, be citizens of the country or citizens of a Commonwealth country who has lived in the country for at least three years prior to a qualifying date, and have been resident in the constituency for at least a month prior to the qualifying date.[1]
Candidates must be at least 21 years old, citizens of the country, and have lived in the country for at least a year prior to the elections.[1] They must also have the ability to speak and (unless blind) be able to read English with "sufficient proficiency". Those with dual citizenship or an undischarged bankruptcy are ineligible, as are those who have been imprisoned for more than a year or have committed electoral offences within the previous ten years, or are insane or under a death sentence.[1]
Senate
The
Senate is unelected and consists of 17 members appointed by the Governor-General; eleven on the advice of the Prime Minister, four on the advice of the leader of the opposition, one on the advice of the Barbuda Council and one at the discretion of the Governor-General.[3]
History
2009
. However, in the 2014 general election, the Antigua Labour Party won 14 of 17 seats, while the ruling UPP won the other three seats. In the 2018 general election, held on 21 March, the ABLP won 15 seats, the UPP won 1 seat and the Barbuda Peoples Movement the seat for Barbuda.
Latest election
References
- ^ a b c d e Electoral system Inter-Parliamentary Union
- ^ General information Inter-Parliamentary Union
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
- ^ Nohlen, p 66
- ^ Nohlen, p 61
- ^ Nohlen, pp 62-63
- ^ Nohlen, p 63
External links
- Antigua Elections website
- Antigua and Barbuda Political Database of the Americas
