The Government of Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Antigua and Barbuda, it was "antiguo" is Spanish for "ancient" or "old"; the island was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and, according to tradition, named by him after the church of Santa Maria la Antigua (Old Saint Mary's) in Seville; "barbuda" is Spanish for "bearded" and the adjective may refer to the alleged beards of the indigenous people or to the island's bearded fig trees. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

National symbols

Fallow deer; national colors: red, white, blue, black, yellow.

The flag

The National flag of Antigua and Barbuda has red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black band; the sun symbolizes the dawn of a new era, black represents the African heritage of most of the population, blue is for hope, and red is for the dynamism of the people; the "V" stands for victory; the successive yellow, blue, and white coloring is also meant to evoke the country's tourist attractions of sun, sea, and sand.

The National Anthem

Title	Fair Antigua, We Salute Thee
Lyric/music	Novelle Hamilton RICHARDS/Walter Garnet Picart CHAMBERS

note: adopted 1967; as a Commonwealth country, in addition to the national anthem, "God Save the King" serves as the royal anthem (see United Kingdom)

More about the government of Antigua and Barbuda

Constitution
Date of Independence	1 November 1981 (from the UK)
National holiday	Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
Legal system	common law based on the English model
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
History	Several previous; latest presented 31 July 1981, effective 31 October 1981 (The Antigua and Barbuda Constitution Order 1981)
Amendments	Proposed by either house of Parliament; passage of amendments to constitutional sections such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, the establishment, power, and authority of the executive and legislative branches, the Supreme Court Order, and the procedure for amending the constitution requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the membership of both houses, approval by at least two-thirds majority in a referendum, and assent to by the governor general; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by both houses; amended 2009, 2011, 2018
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	yes
Citizenship by descent only	yes
Dual citizenship recognized	yes
Residency requirement for naturalization	7 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state	King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General Rodney WILLIAMS (since 14 August 2014)
Head of government	Prime Minister Gaston BROWNE (since 13 June 2014)
Cabinet	Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister
Elections/appointments	the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed prime minister by the governor general
Legislative branch
Description	Bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (17 seats; members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister and leader of the opposition; members served 5-year terms) House of Representatives (19 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms; in addition, 1 ex-officio seat is allocated for the attorney general and 1 seat for the speaker of the House - elected by the House membership following its first post-election session)
Elections	Senate - last appointed on 17 February 2023 (next appointments in 2028) House of Representatives - last held on 18 January 2023 (next to be held in March 2028)
Election results	Senate - composition - men 10, women 7, percentage women 41.2% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - ABLP 47.1%, UPP 45.2%, BPM 1.5%, independent 5.2%; seats by party - ABLP 9, UPP 6, BPM 1, independent 1; composition - men 17, women 1, percentage women 5.6%; total Parliament percentage women 22.9%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, travelling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 2 assigned to Antigua and Barbuda
Judge selection and term of office	Chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the His Majesty, King CHARLES III; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Subordinate courts	Industrial Court; Magistrates' Courts
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Sir Ronald SANDERS (since 17 September 2015)
Chancery	3216 New Mexico Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016
Telephone	[1] (202) 362-5122
FAX	[1] (202) 362-5225
Email address and website	[email protected] https://www.antigua-barbuda.org/Aghome01.htm
Consulate(s) general	Miami, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Embassy	The US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites	1 (cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales	Antigua Naval Dockyard