Prime Minister of Barbados
| Prime Minister of Barbados | |
|---|---|
|
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| Style | The Right Honourable |
| Term length | Five years |
| Inaugural holder | Errol Barrow |
| Formation | 30 November 1966 |
The Prime Minister of Barbados is the head of government of Barbados. The Prime Minister is appointed by Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados (represented by the Governor-General) under the terms of the 1966 Constitution. As the nominal holder of executive authority, the Governor-General holds responsibility for conducting parliamentary elections, and for proclaiming one of electors as Prime Minister.
As a former British colony, Barbados has largely adopted British political models and follows the Westminster or Cabinet, system of government, in which the executive branch of government is responsible to the legislature. The Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General, if the Prime Minister dies, as has happened on three occasions, the Governor-General will appoint a replacement from parliament to serve the remainder of the five-year term of Parliament. The Prime Minister must also be supported, or at least accepted, by a majority in the House of Assembly. If at any time the Prime Minister loses the "confidence" of the House, he must resign, along with the entire Cabinet. In practice, this usually reduces the Prime Minister's appointment to a formality, as the parliamentary leader of the majority political party or coalition is invariably appointed. If, however, no such majority party or coalition exists, whether due to electoral fragmentation or to party realignments after an election, the Governor-General's role becomes much more important. The Governor-General must endeavour to find a candidate acceptable to a majority in the House; if no such candidate can be found, the Governor-General must dissolve Parliament and call an election prematurely. Should the incumbent Prime Minister lose their seat in a parliamentary election they also may not be Prime Minister.
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