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Constitutional Status
Montserrat is an internally self-governing Overseas
Territory. This provides for the execution of government through a
Governor appointed by the Crown, an
Executive Council (ExCo) which has the
general control and direction of government, and a Legislative
Council (LegCo). The Governor retains responsibility for internal
security (including police), external affairs, defence, the public
service (of which he is the head) and offshore finance.
In December 1989, Montserrat's Constitution was
consolidated into one document. The new Constitution came into force
on 13 February 1990.
Recent Political Development
The general election on 2 April 2001 saw a landslide
victory for John Osborne’s National Peoples
Liberation Movement (NPLM). A 78% turnout of the 3,000 strong
electorate, in a well-organised and orderly election, resulted in
the NPLM securing seven of the nine available elected seats in the
Legislative Council. The other two seats went to members of the
National Progressive Party (NPP).
Volcanic activity has resulted in four and a half of
the original seven constituencies in Montserrat being unoccupied. As
a result the pre-1995 electoral arrangements became unworkable. In
February 1999, the Governor appointed a commission to suggest
reforms. The Commission reported in May 1999. Their main
recommendations were that:
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the
single-member, multi-constituency, first-past-the-post electoral
system be replaced by a single-constituency system under a
modified first-past-the-post arrangement;
-
the
nominated membership to the Legislative Council be abolished and
the elected membership be increased from seven to nine
accordingly.
The main recommendations were accepted by HMG and the
new system was used in the 2 April election.
Elections
Elections are held every five years on the basis of
universal adult suffrage. The last general election took place on 2
April 2001 after the resignation of two ministers from former Chief
Minister David Brandt’s government in February forced an unexpected
election (originally due for November 2001). The next election is
due by early 2006.
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