Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign island country in the Caribbean. It lies at the conjuncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles.
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.
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.
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration,protection of human and legal rights,and the encouragement of good governance between countries and territories in the Eastern Caribbean. It also performs the role of spreading responsibility and liability in the event of natural disaster.
Winston Baldwin Spencer is an Antiguan politician who was the third prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 2004 to 2014.
Saint John,officially the Parish of Saint John,is a civil parish of Antigua and Barbuda,on the northwestern portion of Antigua island. Its capital is the city of St. John's. Saint John borders Saint Mary,Saint Peter,Saint George,and Saint Paul. Saint John faces the Caribbean Sea. Saint John is surrounded by some of Antigua's most premier beaches. Saint John had a population of 56,736 in a 2018 estimate,making it home to the majority of the population in Antigua and Barbuda.
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.
Antigua and Barbuda maintains diplomatic relations with the United States,Canada,the United Kingdom,and the People's Republic of China,as well as with many Latin American countries and neighbouring Eastern Caribbean states. It is a member of the United Nations,the Commonwealth of Nations,the Organization of American States,the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States,the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas,Petrocaribe and the Eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System (RSS).
Lesbian,gay,bisexual,and transgender (LGBT) persons in Antigua and Barbuda may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT citizens.
Dame Bernice Lake was an Anguillan-born jurist and legal scholar whose career spanned more than forty years. In 1985,she became the first woman from the Eastern Caribbean to be appointed Queen's Counsel. Lake was also the first graduate of the University of the West Indies to receive the honor.
The Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) is a civil aviation authority serving the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The headquarters are in Saint John's,Antigua and Barbuda. The agency serves as the aviation accident and incident investigation authority of its jurisdiction.
Gaston Alfonso Browne is an Antiguan politician serving as the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda and leader of the Labour Party since 2014. Before entering politics,he was a banker and businessman.
Jacqui Quinn-Leandro is a communications specialist from Antigua. She was the first woman to be elected to the Lower House of Parliament for Antigua and Barbuda. In 2005,she served as the first female acting prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda during a temporary absence of Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer. After two terms as a Member of Parliament,she was appointed as senator.
Sir Ronald Michael Sanders is an Antiguan Barbudan diplomat,academic,former broadcast-journalist,and the current Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and to the Organization of American States (OAS) since 2015. He holds the unique distinction of being the first person,since the OAS enlarged its membership in 1962,to serve as Chairman of the Permanent Council of the OAS for an unprecedented three terms. He completed his highly successful third term on December 31,2023,having played a widely recognized role in guiding the work of the Permanent Council in the peaceful transition of government in Guatemala on 14 January 2024.
Dame Gwendolyn Tonge,DCN,OH,MBE was an Antiguan teacher and home economics expert. After teaching for many years,she became the head of the government Women's Desk,the precursor to the Directorate of Gender Affairs. Appointed as a Senator,she continued to work in the Ministry of the Prime Minister,responsible for policies on women's issues. As Auntie Gwen,she hosted a cooking show Cooking Magic,which began airing on the Antigua and Barbuda Broadcasting Service (ABS) in the 1960s until her death,the longest running television series in the eastern Caribbean,other than news programs. The recipient of many awards,she was honored with the Order of the British Empire,the Order of Honour of Antigua and Barbuda,Distinguished Order of the Nation.
Alincia T. H. Williams-Grant is an Antiguan and Barbudan politician. She was appointed as a Senator and elected as the President of the Upper House of Parliament in Antigua and Barbuda in June 2014.
Dia C. Forrester is a Grenadian lawyer who served as Grenada's first woman to be appointed attorney general. Her tenure was from 1 January 2021 until 1 July 2022,following the 2022 general election. She is now the head of Forrester Legal Chambers a full service commercial and civil law firm - https://forresterlc.com/about-us/.
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.
The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda founded on April 18,2017. The DNA is currently led by former MP and Senator Joanne Massiah. The party was founded after a disastrous leadership race within the United Progressive Party following their defeat in the 2014 General Elections.
Gail Christian is an Antiguan and Barbudan politician and senator. She is a senator of the Upper House of Parliament in Antigua and Barbuda. She was appointed senator by Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
