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Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign island country in the West Indies in the Americas, lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major islands, Antigua and Barbuda separated by around 40 km (25 mi), and smaller islands. The permanent population number is estimated to be in the region of 97,120 with 97% residing on Antigua. The capital and largest port and city is St. John's on Antigua, with Codrington being the largest town on Barbuda. Lying near each other, Antigua and Barbuda are in the middle of the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles, roughly at 17°N of the equator.
The politics of Antigua and Barbuda takes place in a framework of a unitary parliamentary representative democratic monarchy, wherein the Sovereign of Antigua and Barbuda is the head of state, appointing a Governor-General to act as vice-regal representative in the nation. A Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General as the head of government, and of a multi-party system; the Prime Minister advises the Governor-General on the appointment of a Council of Ministers. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of the Parliament. The bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The history of Antigua and Barbuda covers the period from the arrival of the Archaic peoples thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day Antigua and Barbuda were inhabited by three successive Amerindian societies. The island was claimed by England, who settled the islands in 1632. Under English/British control, the islands witnessed an influx of both Britons and African slaves migrate to the island. In 1981, the islands were granted independence as the modern state of Antigua and Barbuda.
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 became Prime Minister and political leader in 1994. The party was founded as the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) by Lester's father, V.C. Bird. The ABLP has traditionally largely been seen as the political arm of the Bird family. With the exception of five years in the 1970s, the ABLP ruled Antigua and Barbuda for over four decades. It was in opposition from 2004 to 2014, and it has been in power again since 2014 since winning a majority of the seats in the Legislature following the 2014 general election.
The United Progressive Party is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. Previously led by Baldwin Spencer, it was the governing party from 2004 to 2014. It has been in opposition since the 2014 election and is now led by Harold Lovell with leadership in parliament by Jamale L. Pringle.
Winston Baldwin Spencer is an Antiguan politician who was the third Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 2004 to 2014.
Elections in Antigua and Barbuda take place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy.
The Barbuda People's Movement is a centre-left Barbudan nationalist political party in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Progressive Labour Movement was a major centre-left political party in Antigua and Barbuda and, until the 2000s, was the only political party to have defeated the Antigua Labour Party in an election.
The United National Democratic Party was a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. It contested the 1989 general elections, winning 31% of the vote but only one seat. In 1992 it was one of three opposition parties to merge into the United Progressive Party.
The Barbuda Independence Movement was a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The party was formed in 1988 by Arthur Nibbs. It participated in the 1989 general elections, but received only 71 votes and failed to win a seat. It did not contest another election.
The Antigua Freedom Party was a political party in Antigua and Barbuda led by George "Rick" James.
General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 17 April 1984, the first after the country had become an independent Commonwealth realm in 1981.
General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 20 December 1951. The election was the first in Antigua and Barbuda to be held under universal suffrage. Vere Bird formed the Antigua Labour Party in 1951 and led the party to victory, winning all 8 seats on the legislative council. Voter turnout was 70.3%.
General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 1 November 1956. The Antigua Labour Party retained all 8 seats and the party's leader Vere Bird became Minister of Trade and Production after a ministerial system of government was established. Voter turnout was 57.0%.
The Antigua National Party was a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The only general elections it contested were those of 1956. Despite receiving 12.5% of the vote, they failed to win a seat.
The Barbuda Democratic Movement was a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. It contested the general elections in 1960 and 1989, but on both occasions received fewer than 160 votes and failed to win a seat.
The Antigua and Barbuda Democratic Movement (ABDM) was a political alliance in Antigua and Barbuda. It included the Antigua Democratic Labour Party and the Barbuda Democratic Movement and was led by Robert Hall.
The United People's Movement was a political party in Antigua and Barbuda led by former Prime Minister George Walter. The only general elections it contested were those of 1984, in which the party received 23% of the vote, but failed to win a seat.
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).
References
- ↑ NDieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, pp67–70 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
- ↑ Ameringer, Charles D. (1992). Political Parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s: Canada, Latin America, and the West Indies. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 18. ISBN 978-0-313-27418-3.
