Tristan da Cunha Island Council

Last updated
Tristan da Cunha Island Council
Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
Philip Kendall [1]
Seats11 Councillors (8 directly elected by island residents, 3 directly appointed by the Administrator)
Website
Tristan da Cunha Island Council

The Tristan da Cunha Island Council is the unicameral non-partisan legislature of the island of Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean. The Island Council consists of the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha as the presiding officer, plus three appointed and eight elected members. At least one elected member of the council must be a woman. [2]

Contents

The appointed members are appointed by the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha directly.

Electoral system

The 12-member Island Council consists of the Administrator as President, three appointed members and eight elected members, who are elected by plurality-at-large voting. At least one elected member of the council must be a woman. If there are no women among the eight candidates that receive the most votes, only the top seven male candidates are declared elected, alongside the woman that received the highest number of votes. If there are no female candidates, a by-election is held for the eighth seat, in which only female candidates can stand. [3] [4]

The Chief Islander is elected on a separate ballot by first-past-the-post voting, and must also be elected to the Island Council to be eligible to become Chief Islander. [4] The Chief Islander's position is similar to that of a Chief Minister in other British Overseas Territories, such as Gibraltar and Anguilla. A Chief Islander's term is the same as that for the other members of the Island Council, excluding the Administrator.

Council members

2022–2025

On 23rd March 2022, it was announced that the 2022 Island Council elections were not held, as no more than eight candidates contested the election. [5]

Elected members: [5]

Members nominated by the Joint Administrators:

Chief Islander:

Previous Councils

2007–10

On 19 March 2007, the following were elected to serve on the Island Council: Lorraine Repetto, Conrad Glass, Robin Repetto, Dereck Charles Rogers, Ian Lavarello, James Patrick Glass, Iris Green, Lillie Carlene Swain. The following were appointed by the Administrator (all had previously been Chief Islanders): Harold Green, Anne Green, Lewis Green. The turnout at the election was 56.2%, markedly lower than in previous years. [6]

2010–13

In 2010, all the Island Council posts were uncontested (an election had been scheduled for 10 March). The following candidates were therefore returned without the need for an election: Ian Lavarello, Robin Repetto, Marion Green, Beverley Repetto, Dereck Rogers, James Glass, Lorraine Repetto, Iris Green, Dawn Repetto, Conrad Glass, and Anne Green. [7] [8]

2013–16

As in 2010, there were eight nominations for the eight places on the Island Council so an election was not held and all candidates were automatically returned. Apart from Ian Lavarello, all the new Councillors had not served before. The returned candidates were: Leon Glass, Warren Glass, Joanne Green, Ian Lavarello, Gerald Repetto, Beverley Swain, Emma Swain, Neil Swain. Additionally, the Administrator appointed Iris Green, Conrad Glass and Lorraine Repetto. [9]

2016–19

On 9 March 2016, with a turnout of 83%, the following eight Councillors were elected to the Tristan da Cunha Island Council for the 2016 to 2019 legislative term: [10]

In addition, the three additional Councillors, who were appointed to the Island Council by the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha, Alex Mitham, are:

2019–2022

On 26 March 2019, with a turnout of 74.6%, the following eight Councillors were elected to the Tristan da Cunha Island Council for the 2019 to 2022 legislative term: [14]

In addition, the three additional Councillors, who were appointed to the Island Council by the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha are:

Chief Islanders

Voters can choose on a separate list councillors candidates who are also candidates for being Chief Islander, and the candidate with the most votes becomes Tristan da Cunha's Chief Islander. [16] The following were elected to the post for the years indicated: [17]

No.ImageChief IslanderElectionTook officeLeft office Monarch
Reign
1 Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Harold Green
(born 1934) [18]
1970 19701973 Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II official portrait for 1959 tour (retouched) (cropped) (3-to-4 aspect ratio).jpg
r.1952–2022
2 Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Albert Glass
(1935–2007) [19]
1973 19731979
1976
(1) Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Harold Green
(born 1934) [18]
1979 19791982
(2) Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Albert Glass
(1935–2007) [19]
1982 19821985
(1) Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Harold Green
(born 1934) [18]
1985 19851988
3 Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Anne Green
(born 1952)
1988 19881991
4 Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Lewis Glass
(1948–2019) [20]
1991 19911994
5 Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg James Glass
(born 1961) [21]
1994 19942003
1997
2000
(3) Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Anne Green
(born 1952)
2003 20032007
6 Conrad Glass (cropped).jpg Conrad Glass
(born 1961)
2007 2007April 2010
7 Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg Ian Lavarello
(born 1970) [13]
2010 April 2010April 2019
2013
2016
(5) Coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha.svg James Glass
(born 1961) [21]
2019 April 2019 Incumbent [a]
2022 Charles III
King Charles III (July 2023).jpg
r.2022–present

Notes

  1. James Glass was elected to a fifth term in 2022; at the end of his term in 2025, he will be term-limited.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Saint Helena</span>

Politics of Saint Helena takes place in a framework of limited self-government as a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, whereby the governor is the head of government. Saint Helena, an island in the southern Atlantic Ocean, is a part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tristan da Cunha</span> South Atlantic island group

Tristan da Cunha, colloquially Tristan, is a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying approximately 2,787 kilometres (1,732 mi) from Cape Town in South Africa, 2,437 kilometres (1,514 mi) from Saint Helena, 3,949 kilometres (2,454 mi) from Mar del Plata in Argentina, and 4,002 kilometres (2,487 mi) from the Falkland Islands.

Tristan da Cunha is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and has a history going back to the beginning of the 16th century. It was settled by men from military garrisons and ships, who married native women from Saint Helena and the Cape Colony. Its people are multi-racial, descended from European male founders and mixed-race and African women founders.

An administrator in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a governor or a governor-general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightingale Island</span> Volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean

Nightingale Island is an active volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) in area, part of the Tristan da Cunha group of islands. They are administered by the United Kingdom as part of the overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edinburgh of the Seven Seas</span> Settlement on Tristan da Cunha

Edinburgh of the Seven Seas is the only settlement on the island of Tristan da Cunha, a part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic Ocean. Locally, it is referred to as The Settlement or The Village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Saint Helena</span> Representative of the monarch in Saint Helena

The Governor of Saint Helena is the representative of the monarch in Saint Helena, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The current governor of Saint Helena has been Nigel Phillips since 13 August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Tristan da Cunha</span> Head of the government of Saint Helena

The governor of Tristan de Cunha is the representative of the monarch in Tristan da Cunha, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legislative Council of Saint Helena</span> Legislative body

The Legislative Council of Saint Helena is the unicameral legislature of Saint Helena, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The council itself is often referred to as "LegCo" by islanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camogli</span> Comune in Liguria, Italy

Camogli is a fishing village and tourist resort located on the west side of the peninsula of Portofino, on the Golfo Paradiso in the Riviera di Levante, in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, Liguria, northern Italy. As of 30 April 2017 its population was of 5,332. Camogli is one of the largest areas of the Parco Naturale Regionale di Portofino, and a part of the Portofino Marine Protected Area.

Michael Hentley was the Administrator for the British overseas territory of Tristan da Cunha, which is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean. He reported to Michael Clancy, who was the Governor, and was based in Saint Helena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascension Island</span> British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean

Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is about 960 miles (1,540 km) from the coast of Africa and 1,400 miles (2,300 km) from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, of which the main island, Saint Helena, is around 800 miles (1,300 km) to the southeast. The territory also includes the sparsely populated Tristan da Cunha archipelago, 2,000 miles (3,200 km) to the south, about halfway to the Antarctic Circle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha</span> British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha. Its name was Saint Helena and Dependencies until 1 September 2009, when a new constitution came into force, giving the three islands equal status as three territories, with a grouping under the Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascension Island Council</span>

The Ascension Island Council is an elected body that provides advice to the Administrator of Ascension Island on matters relating to the governance of Ascension Island. The Council is made up of either five or seven Councillors, depending on the number of candidates standing for an election, and its meetings are chaired by the Administrator. The Island's constitution requires the Governor and Administrator to consult with the Council when making laws for Ascension Island. The Governor and Administrator are not bound to accept the advice of the Council but the Council has the right of appeal to the British Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conrad Glass</span> Chief Islander of Tristan da Cunha (2007-2010), Tristan da Cunhas only police officer

Conrad Jack Glass is a Tristanian police inspector and civil servant who was Tristan da Cunha's former Chief Islander from 2007 to 2010. Glass is the first islander to have written a book about the island: Rockhopper Copper (2005).

Anne Green MBE is a Tristanian teacher, politician and public administrator from Tristan da Cunha, a remote island in the southern Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. She was the first woman to be elected Chief Islander and also the first woman to be Acting Administrator of the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Tristan da Cunha general election</span>

General elections were held in Tristan da Cunha on 26 March 2019 to elect eight members of the Island Council and the Chief Islander.

William Glass was a Scottish Corporal and settler. He established the settlement that would become Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, the main settlement on Tristan da Cunha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tristan da Cunha lifeboat disaster</span>

The Tristan da Cunha lifeboat disaster, which occurred on 27 November 1885, was a tragedy which saw the island of Tristan da Cunha suffer its biggest loss of life during a single event.

References

Notes

  1. Ian Lavarello was also elected as Chief Islander of Tristan da Cunha for a third consecutive term. [11] He has served in this position from April 2010 to April 2019. [12]
  2. Prior to Lavarello's election, Conrad Glass was the Chief Islander of Tristan. [13]
  3. James Glass was also elected as Chief Islander of Tristan da Cunha for a fourth term. [15]

Citations

  1. "Philip Kendall sworn-in as Tristan Administrator".
  2. Tristan da Cunha Island Council
  3. Tristan da Cunha Island Council
  4. 1 2 CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
  5. 1 2 Grundy, Richard (2022-04-04). "New Island Council announced". Tristan da Cunha Website. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  6. Sarah Glass, "Tristan's Election Results", Tristan Times, 4 April 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  7. Juanita Brock, "New Island Council elected to serve until 2013", Tristan Times, 28 May 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  8. "Tristan Island Council 2010–2013", Tristan da Cunha. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  9. "Tristan Island Council 2013–2016", Tristan da Cunha. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  10. "Island Council 2016-2019".
  11. Reports during Chief Islander Ian Lavarello's 3rd Term of Office 2016-2019
  12. Tristan da Cunha Chief Islanders (Official Webpage)
  13. 1 2 "Profile of Conrad Glass Chief Islander 2007 - 2010". Tristan da Cunha Government. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  14. "2019 Island Council Election Results".
  15. The current Chief Islander is James Glass
  16. Overseas Territories. The Stationery Office. July 2008. ISBN   9780215521477.
  17. "Chief Islander", Tristan da Cunha. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 "Harold Green's 80th Birthday", Tristan da Cunha. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  19. 1 2 "Obituary for Albert Glass BEM", Tristan da Cunha. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  20. "Obituary for Lewis Glass", Tristan da Cunha. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  21. 1 2 "A profile of Tristan da Cunha Chief Islander James Glass MBE", Tristan da Cunha. Retrieved 25 December 2023.