| Leader of the Opposition | |
|---|---|
| Appointer | The Governor-General |
| Formation | December 1968 |
| First holder | Robert Hall |
| Salary | EC$72,000 per annum |
 |
|---|
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.
The Governor-General must select the opposition leader, except when there aren't any House members who are against the government. When the need for a opposition leader arises, the Governor-General must appoint the member of the House who, in their opinion, is most likely to be supported by the majority of House members who oppose the government; or, if no member of the House appears to them to be so supported, the member of the House who, in their opinion, is most likely to be supported by the largest single group of House members who oppose the government provided that the Governor-General may, acting in his discretion, appoint any one of the two or more members of the House who oppose the government as opposition leader. In exercising this discretion, the Governor-General shall be guided by each member's seniority based on the number of years of service as a member of the House and by the votes cast in favor of each at the most recent election of members. [1]
If it is essential to select a opposition leader between the time that Parliament is dissolved and the day that the members of the House are subsequently elected, the appointment may be made as if Parliament was never dissolved. The Governor-General must remove the opposition leader from office if it appears that they can no longer gather the support of the largest group of members of the House who are against the Government or the majority of members of the House who are against the Government. [1]
The opposition leader has the following constitutionally mandated responsibilities: [1]
| Name | Took office | Left office | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Hall | December 1968 [2] | 1970 | PLM | |
| George Walter | 1970 | 1971 | PLM | |
| Ernest Williams | 1971 [3] | 1976 | ABLP | |
| George Walter | 1976 | 1979 | PLM | [4] |
| Robert Hall | 1979 | 1984 | PLM | [4] |
| Eric Burton | 1984 | 1989 | [4] [5] | |
| Baldwin Spencer | 1989 | 2004 | UPP | [4] |
| Robin Yearwood | 2004 | 2006 | ABLP | [4] |
| Steadroy Benjamin | 2006 | March 2009 | ABLP | [4] |
| Lester Bird | March 2009 | December 2012 | ABLP | [4] |
| Gaston Browne | December 2012 | June 2014 | ABLP | [6] |
| Baldwin Spencer | June 2014 | March 2018 | UPP | [4] |
| Jamale Pringle | March 2018 [7] | Incumbent | UPP | [4] [8] |
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 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.
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the federal government. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the prime minister as a member of Parliament (MP) who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs. This person is usually the leader of the party winning the most seats in a general election.
The president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is the head of state of Trinidad and Tobago and the commander-in-chief of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1976, before which the head of state was the Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, Elizabeth II. The last governor-general, Sir Ellis Clarke, was sworn in as the first president on 1 August 1976 under a transitional arrangement. He was formally chosen as president by an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of Parliament on 24 September 1976, which is now celebrated as Republic Day.
Elections in Antigua and Barbuda take place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy.
The Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda consists of the King of Antigua and Barbuda, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate is the Upper House of Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda. It consists of 17 members appointed by the Governor General. Ten members are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, four on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition, one on the advice of the Barbuda Council, one resident of Barbuda on the advice of the Prime Minister, and one at the Governor General's discretion. Subject to the provisions of Section 30 of the Constitution, any person who at the time of his appointment: is a citizen; is twenty-one years of age or older; has lived in Antigua and Barbuda for the twelve months immediately prior to the date of his appointment; and is able to speak and, unless disabled by blindness or another physical condition, to read the English language with enough proficiency to allow him to take an active part in the proceedings.
The National Assembly is Mauritius's unicameral legislature, which was called the Legislative Assembly until 1992, when the country became a republic. The Constitution of Mauritius provides for the parliament of Mauritius to consist of the President and the National Assembly. The parliament of Mauritius is modelled after the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy, where members of parliament are voted in at regular general elections, on the basis of a first past the post system. The working language of the National Assembly is English.
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 of Barbuda is an organization known by the name "the Barbuda Council" that 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.
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 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.
Vere Bird Jr. was an Antiguan lawyer and politician who served as chairman of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) and a government minister. He was the son of Vere Bird, the former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, and brother of Lester Bird, who later held the same position.
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.
The Cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda is the executive branch of the government of Antigua and Barbuda. Section 70(1) of the Constitution establishes the Cabinet. 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. Only the Prime Minister or, in his absence, the Minister the Prime Minister appoints in that regard, may call the Cabinet to order.
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 Antigua & Barbuda Electoral Commission is the non-partisan entity responsible for administering all elections in Antigua and Barbuda.
Trevor Myke Walker is a Barbudan politician, current member of parliament for Barbuda, and former Cabinet Minister under the Baldwin Spencer administration. He is a member of the Barbuda People's Movement, a party that seeks the independence of Barbuda from Antigua and Barbuda.
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."
This article incorporates public domain material from documents of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda .
