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Friday, July 30, 10 12:20am
The Structure of Local Government

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(The information below has been transcribed from various books and government web pages and is offered up as 'officially unofficial' due to that fact.)

The Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis is a constitutional monarchy. Our head of state is the Queen of St. Kitts & Nevis who is also Queen of Britain, Canada and a number of other countries around the world. Every act of government is done in the Queen's name but the authority for every act flows from the people of St. Kitts & Nevis. We have a Cabinet responsible to Parliament and a Parliament answerable to the People.


THE QUEEN

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the formal head of state of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis. She is also the symbolic head of the Commonwealth comprised of St. Kitts & Nevis and fifty-three other former British colonies. Parliament meets only by royal summons and no bills become law without Royal Assent.
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GOVERNOR-GENERAL

The Governor-General is the personal representative of the Queen in St. Kitts & Nevis. He is appointed by Her Majesty on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and performs the functions of the Monarch in her absence including Royal Assent for all bills and authorization of all government appointments.
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PRIME MINISTER

The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party which won the largest number of seats in the National Assembly in the last general election. He is invited to form a government by the Governor-General. The Prime Minister is the senior minister in the government and is ultimately responsible for all government policies and programs.
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CABINET

The St. Kitts & Nevis Cabinet is comprised of the Prime Minister, other ministers and the Attorney-General. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the Governor-General on the ad\-ice of the Prime Minister. They control the departments of government and implement, administer and enforce the laws made by Parliament. Cabinet members must stand together on government policy -- a minister who is not willing to do so must resign.
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PARLIAMENT

The Parliament of St. Kitts & Nevis is comprised of the Speaker, elected members of the Government and Opposition parties (11), appointed Senators (3) and the Attorney-General when not an elected member. Parliament, also called the National Assembly is the sole institution through which laws of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis are passed, taxes imposed, and public expenditure authorized.
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SPEAKER

The Speaker of the National Assembly is elected by the members and is the presiding officer of Parliament. He decides all questions of procedure and order with complete impartiality and protects the privilege of freedom of speech by ensuring that all members, regardless of party affiliation, are given a fair opportunity to speak and express their views. The Speaker may or may not be an elected member of the National Assembly.
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OPPOSITION

It is the Opposition's role to scrutinize the government's policies and programs and provide constructive criticism and alternative strategies in those areas where it disagrees with the administration. The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly is the person who commands the support of the majority of the representatives who do not support the government.
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CHIEF SECRETARY

The Chief Secretary, appointed by the Prime Minister, is Head of the Civil Service. He is also Secretary to the Cabinet where he ensures that Cabinet decisions are implemented by the government bureaucracy in a timely and effective manner.

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HOW A BILL IS PASSED

A bill is proposed legislation that is presented to Parliament for discussion. It is drafted by the government's legal department and approved in Cabinet before it is introduced to the National Assembly.

The bill is introduced into the National Assembly by the minister responsible or the Attorney-General. After its first reading it is circulated to interested groups or individuals for feedback and input. Changes may be made to the bill before it is submitted to the National Assembly for its second reading. The aims and objectives of the bill are presented by the minister and a full debate follows with all members having an opportunity to express their views.
Following debate on the second reading of the bill, it is referred to committee where it is reviewed in detail and any final amendments made.

The bill is then read in the National Assembly for the third and final time and submitted to a vote. If successful, the legislation is forwarded to the Governor-General for Royal Assent. The new law (now called an Act) is then published in the Government Gazette and made available to the public.
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