Saint Kitts and Nevis,officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis,is an island country consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis,both located in the West Indies,in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles. With 261 square kilometres (101 sq mi) of territory,and roughly 48,000 inhabitants,it is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere,in both area and population,as well as the world's smallest sovereign federation. The country is a Commonwealth realm,with Charles III as King and head of state.
The politics of Saint Kitts and Nevis takes place in the framework of a federal parliamentary democracy. Saint Kitts and Nevis is an independent Commonwealth realm with Charles III as its head of state,viceregally represented by a Governor-General. He acts on the advice of the prime minister,who is the majority party leader in the National Assembly,and who,with a cabinet,conducts affairs of state.
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw was the first Premier of Saint Kitts and Nevis,and previously served as Chief Minister,legislator,and labour activist.
Timothy Sylvester Harris is a Saint Kittitian and Nevisian politician,who served as the third prime minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis from 2015 to 2022. He previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 10 August 2001 to 25 January 2008,as Minister of Finance from 2008 to 2010,and as Senior Minister and Minister for Agriculture from 2010 to 2013.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis Defence Force is the military of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It currently consists of an infantry unit and a maritime unit. Both units have regular and reserve elements,all of which fall under the command Force Headquarters. The current Commander of the SKNDF is Lt. Col. J. Anthony Comrie. The SKNDF has an active force of 300 personnel with a corps of 150 cadets.
The People's Action Movement (PAM) is a political party in the island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The party currently holds one of the 11 seats in the National Assembly. PAM operates only in Saint Kitts and for the 2022 general election is in a 'One Movement' alliance with the Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) operating in Nevis,following the breakdown of the governing Team Unity alliance. PAM is a member of the Caribbean Democrat Union,the regional affiliate of the International Democrat Union and shares close links with other centre-right party members in the Caribbean such as the Jamaica Labour Party.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP),also known simply as Labour,is a centre-left political party in Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is currently in government in the country after winning six of the eleven contested seats in the 2022 general election. It is the oldest active political party in the English-speaking Caribbean.
The National Assembly and the King of Saint Christopher and Nevis jointly make up the legislature of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The monarchy of Saint Kitts and Nevis is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The current monarch of Saint Kitts and Nevis,since 8 September 2022,is King Charles III. As sovereign,he is the personal embodiment of the Crown of Saint Kitts and Nevis. 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 Saint Christopher and Nevis and,in this capacity,he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Saint Kitts and Nevis. However,the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
General elections were held in Saint Kitts and Nevis on 25 January 2010 for eleven of the fourteen or fifteen seats in the National Assembly. The other three or four members of the National Assembly will be appointed by the Governor-General after the elections.
Shawn Kenneth Richards is a Saint Kitts and Nevis politician from People's Action Movement (PAM).
General elections were held in Saint Kitts and Nevis on 16 February 2015. The ruling Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party,led by Prime Minister Denzil Douglas,was defeated by Team Unity,an alliance of the Concerned Citizens' Movement,the People's Action Movement,and the People's Labour Party,led by Timothy Harris.
Dame Marcella Althea Liburd is a Kittitian politician who is the fifth governor-general of Saint Kitts and Nevis,serving since 2023. Trained as a teacher and then as a barrister and solicitor,Liburd was the first woman to serve as both the Speaker of the National Assembly of Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Governor-General,as well as the first Governor-General appointed by Charles III. She has served in various Ministerial positions including Acting Prime Minister and Chair of the Opposition for the Labour Party. She was the first woman to serve as Chair in the 81-year-old organization’s history.
Snap general elections were held in Saint Kitts and Nevis on 5 August 2022,following the decision of incumbent prime minister Timothy Harris to dissolve the parliament on 11 May. Snap elections are constitutionally required within ninety days following the dissolution of parliament.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis is an elected representative in the National Assembly who is appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. Historically,the person appointed to the position of Deputy Prime Minister is usually the Deputy Leader of the political party that holds the majority of seats in the national assembly or the Leader of another party in the case of a coalition government. The instrument of appointment of the Deputy Prime Minister can be found in the Constitution of St. Christopher and Nevis. The Deputy Prime Minister appointment can be revoked by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Terrance Michael Drew is a Kittitian medical doctor and politician who is the fourth and current prime minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis,having been elected to the National Assembly in the 5 August 2022 general election.
Geoffrey Hanley is a politician from Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Events from the year 2022 in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Minister of Finance of Saint Kitts and Nevis is a cabinet minister in charge of the Ministry of Finance of Saint Kitts and Nevis,responsible for public finances of the country. The ministry is located at Government Headquarters,Basseterre
Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition is a constitutionally sanctioned office in Saint Kitts and Nevis. The Constitution requires that there shall be a Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of Saint Kitts and Nevis who shall be appointed by the Governor-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Usually the person comes from the largest group in the National Assembly that is not in government.
