Politics of Montserrat

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Montserrat
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Montserrat

Governor Deborah Barnes-Jones Chief Minister Lowell Lewis Legislative Council Political parties Elections Parishes
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Politics of Montserrat takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Montserrat is an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes Montserrat on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Legislative Council. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. Military defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom.

1 Executive branch
2 Legislative branch
3 Political parties and elections
4 Judicial branch
5 Administrative divisions
6 International organization participation

[edit] Executive branch

Main office holders
Office	Name	Party	Since
Queen	Elizabeth II		6 February 1952
Governor	Deborah Barnes-Jones		2003
Chief Minister	Lowell Lewis	MDP	2 June 2006

The governor is appointed by the monarch. The chief minister is appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council. His cabinet, the Executive Council, is appointed by the governor from among the elected members of the Legislative Council and consists also of the Executive Council of the governor, the attorney general, and the finance secretary. The current Chief Minister of the island is Lowell Lewis, of the Montserrat Democratic Party, replacing the outgoing Chief Minister, John Osborne of the New People's Liberation Party. The New People's Liberation Party, after losing its majority in the Legislative Council of Montserrat because of its poor showing in the 2006 election, supported Lewis for Chief Minister Moves towards full independence have been effectively halted by the volcano and the consequent evacuation.

[edit] Legislative branch

Montserrat elects on territorial level a legislature. The Legislative Council has 9 members, elected for a five year term in one constituency.

[edit] Political parties and elections

The following election results include names of political parties. See for additional information about parties the List of political parties in Montserrat. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Montserrat.

[discuss] – [edit]
**Summary of the 31 May 2006 Legislative Council of Montserrat election results**
Parties	%	Seats
Movement for Change and Prosperity	36.1	4
New People's Liberation Party	29.4	3
Montserrat Democratic Party	24.4	1
Independents	10.1	1
Total (turnout: %)	100.0	9

[edit] Judicial branch

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consists of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of Montserrat.