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Formation | November 1, 1981 |
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Legal status | Established by the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda |
Headquarters | Office of the Prime Minister |
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Prime Minister | Gaston Browne |
Website | https://ab.gov.ag/detail_page.php?page=10 |
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The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda [1] is the executive branch of the government of Antigua and Barbuda. Section 70(1) of the Constitution establishes the Cabinet. [2] The Cabinet is made up of the Prime Minister and as many other Ministers as the Prime Minister deems necessary, one of whom will be the Attorney-General and will be nominated in accordance with section 69 of the Constitution. [2] Only the Prime Minister or, in his absence, the Minister the Prime Minister appoints in that regard, may call the Cabinet to order. [2]
The Governor-General may authorize another member of the Cabinet to perform those functions (other than the functions conferred by subsection (2) of this section) when the Prime Minister is not present in Antigua and Barbuda or is unable to do so due to illness or because of the restrictions of section 73(4) of this Constitution. That member may perform those functions until the Governor-General revokes his authority. [2]
A Secretary to the Cabinet is employed, and their position will be public. In accordance with any instructions the Prime Minister may give him, the Secretary to the Cabinet, who will be in charge of the Cabinet office, is in charge of organizing the agenda for the Cabinet meetings, maintaining the minutes of those meetings, relaying the decisions made by the Cabinet to the proper parties, among other duties as the Prime Minister may specify. Before beginning his official duties, the Secretary to the Cabinet must take the oath of secrecy and sign it. [2]
The governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda is the representative of the monarch of Antigua and Barbuda, currently King Charles III. The official residence of the governor-general is Government House.
The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda is the head of government of the Antigua and Barbuda. The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda is appointed by the Governor-General under the terms of the Constitution.
Chapter 7: Executive Government.Chapter 7 of the 1997 Constitution is titled Executive Government. There are five Parts, further subdivided into thirty sections, which set out the organization, functions, and responsibilities of the executive branch of government. Modeled on the Westminster system, Fiji's constitution does not separate the Executive and Legislative branches of government as strictly as do many democracies, but despite considerable overlap, the branches of government are nevertheless constitutionally distinct.
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore is vested in the President but exercised on the advice of the Cabinet led by the Prime Minister. The President, acting as the Head of State, may only act in their discretion in appointing the Prime Minister, acting as the Head of Government; as well as withholding consent for the dissolution of Parliament; along with performing key checks on the Government in addition to the ceremonial duties of the Head of State inherited from the Westminster system. The Cabinet, consisting of the Prime Minister and ministers appointed by the President on the Prime Minister's advice, is responsible for heading the Executive through ministries and other statutory boards. At the end of the term or at any time during the term, once the President has consented to a request made by the Prime Minister to dissolve Parliament, Parliamentary General Elections are held to elect members of Parliament for a new term. The President, in their discretion, then appoints a Prime Minister who is a member of Parliament representing any political party or coalition of political parties who in their judgement is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of Parliament. The Prime Minister then forms the Government and, along with the Cabinet, sets the general direction and control of the Government for the next term.
The Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda consists of the King of Antigua and Barbuda, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda is the lower chamber of the country's bicameral parliament. Each of the constituencies created in accordance with section 62 of the Constitution shall elect one representative to the House in a direct election in accordance with the procedures specified by or pursuant to any law, subject to the rules of the Constitution. Unless he is prohibited by law from registration as a voter for the purpose of electing a member of the House, every Commonwealth citizen who is eighteen years of age or older and who meets the requirements relating to residence or domicile in Antigua and Barbuda as prescribed by Parliament is entitled to be registered as such a voter in accordance with the provisions of any law in that regard, and no other person may be registered. Every person who is registered to vote in any constituency shall, unless prohibited from doing so by any law, be entitled to vote in accordance with the provisions of any law in that regard in any election of members of the House in that constituency. Voting is free and must be done by secret ballot in accordance with any rules that Parliament may impose during House member elections.
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda. The Senate and the lower chamber, the House of Representatives, together form the bicameral legislature of Antigua and Barbuda. The Senate and the House together may make laws for "the peace, order and good government of Antigua and Barbuda". Any bill other than a money bill may be introduced in the Senate.
The monarchy of Antigua and Barbuda is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Antigua and Barbuda. The current Antiguan and Barbudan monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Crown of Antigua and Barbuda. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Antigua and Barbuda and, in this capacity, he and other members of the Royal Family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Antigua and Barbuda. However, the King is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role.
The Barbuda Council is a local authority that manages the internal affairs on the island of Barbuda. The council has the authority to buy, acquire, hold, mortgage, and dispose of land and other property. It also possesses a common seal and perpetual succession. The Barbuda Council, which has the authority outlined in the Barbuda Local Government Act, is the government of the island and its coastal zone. The members of the Senate who meet the requirements outlined in paragraph (1) of section 6 of the Barbuda Local Government Act, nine elected members, and the member of the House of Representatives from the Barbuda constituency make up the Council. A Commonwealth citizen who is eighteen years of age or older, was born in Barbuda, is the child of parents who were at least one of their parents' birthplaces, or who has lived in Barbuda for at least three years prior to the date of their nomination for election, and who is a regular resident of Barbuda and a registered voter under the Representation of the People Act are all required to be eligible to be elected as a member of the Council.
Education in Antigua and Barbuda is compulsory and free for children between the ages of 5 and 16 years. The system is modeled on the British educational system. The current Minister of Education, Sport & Creative Industries is Daryll Sylvester Matthew.
Speaker of the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda is the presiding officer in the House of Representatives of Antigua and Barbuda. Prior to conducting any other business, the House must elect a Speaker at its first session following a general election. If the position of Speaker becomes vacant at any point before the next dissolution of Parliament, the House must elect a replacement as soon as is practically possible. The Speaker may be chosen from among House members or from among individuals who are not House members but are eligible to serve in that capacity. Before conducting any other business other than electing the Speaker during the first meeting following a general election, the House shall elect a member to serve as Deputy Speaker. If the position of Deputy Speaker becomes vacant at any point prior to the next dissolution of Parliament, the House shall, as soon as is practically possible, elect another member to fill the vacancy. A minister or parliamentarian cannot be elected as the speaker or deputy speaker of the house by the house. When the position of Speaker is open, the House may not conduct any business.
The Royal Household of Spain, officially the Household of His Majesty the King, is the constitutional body whose primary function is to provide aid and support to the King of Spain in the exercise of his royal duties and prerogatives. These include his role as head of state and as commander-in-chief of the Spanish Armed Forces. It functions as the king's executive office.
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.
The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty, functioning under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. Japan is a unitary state, containing forty-seven administrative divisions, with the Emperor as its Head of State. His role is ceremonial and he has no powers related to the Government. Instead, it is the Cabinet, comprising the Ministers of State and the Prime Minister, that directs and controls the Government and the civil service. The Cabinet has the executive power and is formed by the Prime Minister, who is the Head of Government. The Prime Minister is nominated by the National Diet and appointed to office by the Emperor.
The Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda is the supreme law that governs the country. The Constitution lays out the legal foundation for the Antigua and Barbuda government as well as the rights and obligations of the general public and other public servants. In 1981, the Constitution went into effect. The Antigua Constitution and Elections Order, as well as the Constitution of the Associated State of Antigua, are among the texts pertaining to Antigua and Barbuda's governance that have been superseded by the 1981 document.
The Constitution of Tuvalu states that it is “the supreme law of Tuvalu” and that “all other laws shall be interpreted and applied subject to this Constitution”; it sets out the Principles of the Bill of Rights and the Protection of the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.
The National Security Council of Antigua and Barbuda was established in 2006 by The National Security Council Act of 2006. The council serves as the government's main forum for debating issues pertaining to national security, coordinating the policies and actions of the government's departments and agencies in this area, and carrying out any duties assigned to it by legislation. Establishing priorities among activities that address national security interests and requirements, ensuring the collection and collation of information and intelligence relating to Antigua and Barbuda's national security and the integration of that information and intelligence into the government's domestic, foreign, and security policies, and approving policies for departments and agencies of government to follow in relation to national security are all part of the Council's duties. The Council may also recommend to the Minister related to these policies.
The Supreme Audit Institution of Antigua and Barbuda, co-officially known as the Office of the Director of Audit, is the supreme audit institution of Antigua and Barbuda, and as such, assists the Parliament in holding the government accountable in management of the country's finances and operations. The institution describes itself as "an independent, constitutionally established office that exists to serve Parliament."
The collaboration of numerous institutions, including law enforcement, military, paramilitary, governmental, and intelligence agencies that seek to ensure Antigua and Barbuda's national security.
The judiciary of Antigua and Barbuda is an independent branch of the Antiguan and Barbudan government, subject to the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda. Even though the Office of the Attorney General in the executive branch appoints magistrates, the judicial branch is mostly independent of the other two branches. The Magistrate's Court handles minor offenses, while the High Court handles major ones, makes up the judiciary. A matter must be sent to the Eastern Caribbean States Supreme Court, whose members are chosen by the OECS, in order to move past the High Court. The heads of state in the OECS system must unanimously approve any appointments or removals of Supreme Court magistrates. The attorney general's advice is the basis for the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda's decision-making on this court.
This article incorporates public domain material from documents of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda .