Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission

Last updated
Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission
Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission Logo.png
Agency overview
Formed2001 (2001)
Jurisdiction Antigua and Barbuda
Employees30
Agency executives
Website abec.gov.ag

The Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission is the non-partisan entity responsible for administering all elections in Antigua and Barbuda.

Contents

History

The Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission was established on 3 December 2001, after the Commonwealth Observer Group recommended the creation of an independent electoral commission. The inaugural chairman was McClin Mathias.

Structure

The process of appointing the chairman involves the nomination of a candidate by the prime minister, followed by negotiations with the leader of the opposition. The ultimate goal of this process is to arrive at a mutually agreeable candidate who can assume the role of chairman. The position of deputy chairman is a political appointment made by the leader of the opposition in consultation with the prime minister. The individual selected for this role is typically a prominent figure within the opposition party and is tasked with serving as a liaison between the opposition and the ruling party. The process of selecting a deputy chairman involves negotiation and collaboration between the two major political parties, with the ultimate goal of ensuring effective communication and cooperation within the government. The composition of the Antigua and Barbuda Senate includes five members who are nominated by various entities. The Prime Minister nominates two members, while the Leader of the Opposition nominates one. Additionally, the Antigua Christian Council and the United Evangelical Association of Antigua and Barbuda nominate one member, and the Antigua and Barbuda Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the Antigua and Barbuda Employers' Federation nominate the final member. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lester Bird</span> Antiguan politician (1938–2021)

Sir Lester Bryant Bird was an Antiguan politician and athlete who served as the second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004. He was chairman of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) from 1971 to 1983, then became prime minister when his father, Sir Vere Bird, the previous prime minister, resigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party</span> Antiguan political party

The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The party had previously been led by Lester Bird, who was chairman of the party since 1971, and was Prime Minister and political leader in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socialist Party of Ukraine</span> Political party in Ukraine

The Socialist Party of Ukraine was a social democratic and democratic socialist political party in Ukraine. It was one of the oldest parties in Ukraine and was created by former members of the Soviet-era Communist Party of Ukraine in late 1991, when the Communist Party was banned. The party was represented in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, from 1994 to 2007 and was the third and fourth largest party during that period. From 2007 onwards the party's electoral results became increasingly marginal, failing to win any seats in subsequent elections despite historically strong support in the central regions of the country. Oleksandr Moroz had led the party for more than twenty years before his resignation in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Antiguan general election</span>

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 23 March 2004. The result was a victory for the opposition United Progressive Party (UPP), which defeated the incumbent Antigua Labour Party. Baldwin Spencer, leader of the UPP, replaced Lester Bird as Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, with Bird being one of eight Labour MPs to lose his seat. Spencer became only the second Prime Minister from outside the Bird family or the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baldwin Spencer (politician)</span> Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

Winston Baldwin Spencer is an Antiguan politician who was the third prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 2004 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Antigua and Barbuda</span>

Elections in Antigua and Barbuda take place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elections in Cuba</span>

Elections in Cuba are held at municipal, provincial, and national levels. Cuba is a one-party state, with the Communist Party of Cuba being described as the "superior driving force of the society and the state" in the Constitution of Cuba, and the communist party is the only official political party. Elections in Cuba are not considered democratic because the government does not allow free and fair voting.

The Liberal Party was formally established in 1859 and existed until merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to create the Liberal Democrats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Antigua and Barbuda</span>

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda (GOAB), is a unitary constitutional monarchy, where the Monarch of Antigua and Barbuda serves as the head of state, represented by the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda, and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda serves as the head of government.

Robin Yearwood is an Antiguan politician and member of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP). Entering Parliament in 1976, Yearwood served as Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries in the ALP administration until a cabinet reshuffle in 1987 saw him take over Vere Bird, Jr.'s portfolio for Aviation, Public Information and Public Utilities. Despite a failed attempt to oust the Prime Minister he retained this position, and kept it when he became Deputy Prime Minister on 9 September 2002 and Minister of Finance a year later. Following the ALP's loss in the 2004 election, Yearwood was one of only three ALP members left in the lower house, and became Leader of the Opposition. He held this position until 2006, when he was replaced with Steadroy Benjamin.

Sir Molwyn Joseph, KGCN, is an Antiguan politician and Chairman of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP). First entering politics in 1984 when he was made a Minister without Portfolio in the government of Vere Bird, Joseph became Minister of Finance seven years later, renegotiating the Antiguan national debt and introducing fiscal reforms. After a 1996 scandal in which it was discovered he had used his position to import a 1930s Rolls-Royce for a friend, bypassing normal import duties and taxes, he was dismissed from the Bird administration, returning 14 months later to serve as Minister for Planning, Implementation and the Environment. Following the 1999 general election, he became Minister of Heath and Social Improvement before being made Minister of Tourism and the Environment a few months later. As Minister, Joseph attempted to improve the perception of Antigua as a tourist destination and invest in the industry, spending 2 million US dollars increasing the number of hotel rooms on the island and providing money for both Air Jamaica and Air Luxor to provide flights to the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party</span> Highest ranked politician within the party

The leader of the Labour Party is the highest-ranked political position within the New Zealand Labour Party, who serves as the parliamentary leader and leading spokesperson of the party. The current leader is Chris Hipkins, after Jacinda Ardern resigned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Georgian parliamentary election</span>

Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on 31 October and 21 November 2020 to elect the 150 members of Parliament. The ruling Georgian Dream party led by Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia won re-election for a third term in office, making it the first party in Georgian history to do so. The elections also saw a record number of opposition parties elected to parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Antiguan general election</span> Election in Antigua and Barbuda

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 21 March 2018 to elect members to House of Representatives of the 15th Antigua and Barbuda Parliament. Each of the 17 constituencies elected one Member of Parliament (MP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United National Movement – United Opposition "Strength is in Unity" Faction</span> Georgian political alliance

The United National Movement – United Opposition "Strength is in Unity" Faction is one of two factions in the Parliament of Georgia, working as a coalition of MPs from several political parties, led by the United National Movement and including Progress and Freedom and Victorious Georgia. It is the parliamentary wing of a previous political block first created during the 2018 presidential election to back the candidacy of Grigol Vashadze and then reformed in 2020 to run a joint slate of candidates for that year's parliamentary election. In Parliament, it is the largest grouping of the Parliamentary Opposition, including 20 MPs, and is currently chaired by UNM's Tinatin Bokuchava.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Bird-Browne</span> Member of the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda

Maria Vanessa Bird-Browne is a politician in Antigua and Barbuda. She was elected as a member of the House of Representatives for St. John's Rural East in the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda in 2018, becoming the youngest lawmaker in the country and the youngest female member of parliament across the Commonwealth. She is the country's minister for housing, lands, and urban renewal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Saint Lucian general election</span>

General elections were held in Saint Lucia on 26 July 2021, having been constitutionally required by 12 October 2021. Voters elected all 17 members of the House of Assembly. The result was a victory for the opposition Saint Lucia Labour Party, which won 13 of the 17 seats in the House, while the ruling United Workers Party lost nine of its eleven seats, its worst result since 1997. It was the fourth consecutive election in which the incumbent government was defeated.

Gerald Owen Anderson Watt is an Antiguan politician and a former cabinet minister. Watt represented St. John's Rural East in parliament from 1971 until 1976 and is a former chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission. Watt has also served as attorney general during his time as Minister of National Security, Labour, and Legal Affairs. Watt has been the Speaker of the House of Representatives since 25 June 2014. He can be considered bipartisan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leader of the Opposition (Antigua and Barbuda)</span>

The Leader of the Opposition, officially the Leader of His Majesty's Opposition, is the leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda that is not in government. The Leader of the Opposition is appointed by the Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Antiguan general election</span>

General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 18 January 2023 to elect members of the House of Representatives. The Labour Party (ABLP) has held an absolute majority of 15 seats in the House of Representatives after the 2018 general election, with Gaston Browne remaining as prime minister. Browne initiated a constitutional referendum after the 2018 election, which was rejected by voters, and following the death of Elizabeth II in 2022, he announced his intention to organise a referendum for the transition of Antigua and Barbuda to a republican system. Besides ABLP, the United Progressive Party (UPP), Democratic National Alliance, Barbuda People's Movement (BPM), and three independent politicians filed candidacies for the 2023 general election.

References

  1. "Chair". Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  2. "Deputy". Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  3. "Supervisor". Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  4. "Structure of the Commission". Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 January 2021.