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Caribbean Islands Government and Politics
The Governmental System
Antigua and Barbuda is a constitutional monarchy with a
British-style parliamentary system of government. The reigning
British monarch is represented in Antigua by an appointed governor
general as the head of state. The government has three branches:
legislative, executive, and judicial.
The bicameral Parliament consists of the seventeen-member House
of Representatives, responsible for introducing legislation, and
the seventeen-member Senate, which reviews and gives assent to
proposed legislation. Representatives are elected by popular vote
in general elections that are constitutionally mandated every five
years but may be called earlier. Senators are appointed by the
governor general. The major figures in Parliament and the
government come from the House of Representatives. The prime
minister is the leader of the party that holds the majority of
seats in the House; the opposition leader is the representative,
appointed by the governor general, who appears to have the greatest
support of those members opposed to the majority government. The
prime minister creates an executive government and advises the
governor general on the appointments to thirteen of the seventeen
seats in the Senate. The leader of the opposition, recognized
constitutionally, is responsible for advising the governor general
on the appointment of the remaining four senators to represent the
opposition in the Senate. The opposition leader also consults with
the governor general, in conjunction with the prime minister, on
the composition of other appointed bodies and commissions. In this
way, the opposition is ensured a voice in government.
The executive branch is derived from the legislative branch. As
leader of the majority party of the House of Representatives, the
prime minister appoints other members of Parliament to be his
cabinet ministers. In late 1987, the cabinet included thirteen
ministries: Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries, and Housing;
Ministry of Defense; Ministry of Economic Development, Tourism, and
Energy; Ministry of Education, Culture, and Youth Affairs; Ministry
of External Affairs; Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Health;
Ministry of Home Affairs; Ministry of Information; Ministry of
Labour; Ministry of Legal Affairs; Ministry of Public Utilities and
Aviation; and Ministry of Public Works and Communications.
The judicial branch is relatively independent of the other two
branches, although the magistrates are appointed by the Office of
the Attorney General in the executive branch. The judiciary
consists of the Magistrate's Court for minor offenses and the High
Court for major offenses. To proceed beyond the High Court, a case
must pass to the Eastern Caribbean States Supreme Court, whose
members are appointed by the OECS. All appointments or dismissals
of magistrates of the Supreme Court must meet with the unanimous
approval of the heads of government in the OECS system; the prime
minister of Antigua and Barbuda acts on the recommendation of the
attorney general in making decisions concerning this judicial body.
The Constitution of 1981 was promulgated simultaneously with
the country's formal independence from Britain. The Constitution
provides a basis for possible territorial acquisitions, expands
upon fundamental human rights, recognizes and guarantees the rights
of opposition parties in government, and provides Barbuda with a
large measure of internal self-government.
In defining the territory of Antigua and Barbuda, the
Constitution includes not only the territory as recognized upon
independence but also other areas that may in the future be
declared by an act of Parliament to form part of the territory.
This cryptic provision may have been designed to lay the basis for
possible extensions of territorial waters.
The Constitution sets forth the rights of citizens, ascribing
fundamental rights to each person regardless of race, place of
origin, political opinions or affiliations, color, creed, or sex.
It further extends these rights to persons born out of wedlock, an
important provision in that legitimate and illegitimate persons did
not have equal legal status under colonial rule. The Constitution
includes provisions to secure life, liberty, and the protection of
person, property, and privacy, as well as freedom of speech,
association, and worship.
In order to quell secessionist sentiment in Barbuda, the
writers of the Constitution included provisions for Barbudan
internal self-government, constitutionally protecting the Barbuda
Local Government Act of 1976. The elected Council for Barbuda is
the organ of self-government. Acting as the local government, the
council has the authority to draft resolutions covering community
issues or domestic affairs; in the areas of defense and foreign
affairs, however, Barbuda remains under the aegis of the national
government. The council consists of nine elected members, the
elected Barbudan representatives to the national Parliament, and a
government-appointed councillor. To maintain a rotation of
membership, council elections are held every two years.
Data as of November 1987
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