The government of Barbados is a parliamentary democracy with a bicameral legislature that is based on universal adult suffrage where fair elections take place. The country is also a constitutional monarchy whose head of state is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The governor-general is the queen's representative in the government and is appointed on the Prime Minister’s recommendation. Barbados has evolved into both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy by keeping with the Westminster system of governance. In Barbados, all political powers rests with the parliament under a non-political monarch as the head of the state which promotes stability

In Barbados, elections are the process of conducting by-elections or general elections and formulating the country’s election results. The process of election in Barbados involve electors choosing members to fill elective offices in the House of Assembly. Even though general elections in the country do not have fixed dates, they must be held within five years of the opening of parliament after the previous elections. Rules on elections in Barbados are bound by a variety of different legislation, including parts of the local constitution or regulations made by the commission and other administrative rules or regulations. In recent years, the country’s politics are two-party and are dominated by the Barbados Labour Party as well as by the Democratic Labour Party. At the moment it is hard for other parties to get any electoral triumph. Voting is voluntary in Barbados and the eligibility to vote is limited to the citizens of Barbados aged 8 years or older, and they are required to have settled in Barbados in the electoral constituency for not less than 3 months before the qualifying date.

The national legislature of Barbados is the parliament of Barbados. This is formally made up of the Queen of Barbados, Elizabeth II, whose representative is the governor-general, as well as an elected lower house together with an appointed upper house. Both the lower and upper house sit in different chambers in the parliamentary buildings, which are also commonly known as the public buildings, and located in Bridgetown, the country’s capital. The government house, which is the office and official residence of the governor-general of Barbados, located on Government Hill, St. Michael. The official residence of the Prime Minister in Barbados is Ilaro Court.

The political scene in Barbados is dominated by two parties: the Democratic Labour Party and the Barbados Labour Party.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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