Federal Assembly of the West Indies
| Federal Assembly of the West Indies | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 130 |
 | |
Political groups |
Opposition (52) Other opposition
|
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | April 1, 2018 |
Next election | 2023 |
| Meeting place | |
| Assembly Chamber, Parliament Building, Kingston, Jamaica | |
| Website | |
| fedassemble=y.gov.wsi | |
The Federal Assembly is the unicameral national legislature of the Commonwealth of the West Indies. Established in 1966, shortly after the formation of the West Indies. The Federal Assembly is composed of a total of 130 members, who are elected through first past the post voting systems. The assembly was established after the West Indies was made an officially independent state with the West Indies Independence Act and was succeeded by the Federal Council during its time as a colony of the United Kingdom.
Delegates to the chamber, designated assembly members or members of parliament (MPs), are appointed in direct elections held once every five years at the latest. During these elections, all 130 seats are up for election including the seat of the prime minister who is elected in said elections. Snap elections can be held are held in the event that a vote of no confidence is held or an early election act is passed by the Federal Assembly by the request of the prime minister. All members of the cabinet are members of the assembly as well.
The Federal Assembly is responsible for the proposal and passing of laws which are approved by the cabinet. The assembly is also responsible for adopting the state's budget and approving the state's accounts as well. In accordance with the Constitution of the West Indies, the Federal Assembly shares power with the monarch, however in practice the monarch exercises limited powers, mainly signing legislation into law that must be done within 30 days after approval, while the assembly exercises most of the monarch's assigned powers along with the prime minister and their cabinet.