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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.
Appointment and disqualification
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]
Role
The opposition leader has the following constitutionally mandated responsibilities:[1]
- The Governor-General, acting on the counsel of the opposition leader, must appoint four senators.
- The Governor-General, acting in line with the Prime Minister's advice and following consultation with the opposition leader, must select the Chairman of the Constituencies Boundaries Commission.
- The Governor-General, in agreement with the Prime Minister and the opposition leader, appoints no more than four additional members of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.
- The Prime Minister must consult the opposition leader before giving the Governor-General any advise about the Public Service Commission.
- The Prime Minister must first consult with the opposition leader before offering any advice to the Governor-General about the Public Service Commission, the Police Service Commission, or the Public Service Board of Appeal.
Leaders of the Opposition
| 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] |
References
- ^ a b c "Government of Antigua and Barbuda". ab.gov.ag. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
- ^ Gascoigne, Joseph Michael. "Partyism and Polarisation: A History of Antiguan Political Culture, 1967-1976" (PDF).
- ^ "Official Records". UN General Assembly. 1974.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Caribbean Elections | Antigua and Barbuda Opposition Leaders". 18 July 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-07-18.
- ^ "Sir Eric Burton, KCN". My Hudson Valley. 20 June 2021.
- ^ "Gaston Browne Is Antigua's New Opposition Leader". www.radiojamaicanewsonline.com.
- ^ "Harold Lovell steps down as UPP leader a day after Party lost general elections". WIC News. 20 January 2023.
- ^ "Antigua and Barbuda: Opposition leader sworn in | Loop Caribbean News". Loop News.
This article incorporates public domain material from documents of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda.