The British Indian Ocean Territory is a British Overseas Dependency which means it does not possess full political independence but remains outside of the complete political control of mainland United Kingdom. The area is administered by a Commissioner who is based in London. The Commissioner's role is to manage the territory on behalf of the British government as well as appointing a representative (usually the longest serving military officer) who lives in the region and reports to the office in London. Unlike many other positions within the British government, this post does not have a unique flag or symbol associated with it due to the fact the Commissioner is never a resident of the territory.
There is no election system for the leadership of the British Indian Ocean Territory, and the Commissioner position is appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on the advice of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Term limits also do not apply to whoever is granted this post, and there have been seven Commissioners who have served in this position so far. If a law has not been made on a particular topic for the British Indian Ocean Territory, then the laws of the United Kingdom apply to the people based here.
As mentioned earlier, the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory is located at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. The Commissioner is appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, and their term does not have a defined length or limit. The Commissioner also does not live in the territory. Although the population of the area is mostly made up of United States military personnel, the Commissioner appoints a senior British Naval Officer to act on the Commissioner's behalf.
There are no political parties in the British Indian Ocean Territory.
This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018
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