House of Representatives of the Antilles
| United Commonwealth House of Representatives Provisional House of Representatives of the United Commonwealth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 234 |
 | |
Political groups |
Majority
Minority
|
| Elections | |
| Pluarity voting | |
Last election | November 8, 2022 |
Next election | November 5, 2024 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| House Chamber, U.C. Capitol Building, Columbia City, Hispaniola | |
| Website | |
| house.gov.uca | |
The House of Representatives of the Antilles, officially known as the United Commonwealth House of Representatives and known informally and internationally as the Antillean House of Representatives is the lower house of the United Commonwealth Congress (officially the National Assembly). The Senate, is the upper house of the Congress. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United Commonwealth of America (Antilles).
The House's composition is established by the First Article of the Constitution of the United Commonwealth of America, enacted in 1983. Prior to the enactment of the 1983 Constitution, the House of Representatives was vacant since the retreat of the Federalist government to the United Commonwealth. The House is composed of representatives who sit in congressional districts allocated to each parish and to each provisional state on a basis of population measured by the Antillean Census, with each parish and provisional state entitled to at least one district. Currently there are 883 ceremonial seats in vacancy, representing the population in the United Commonwealth of Continental States. As of the 2020 Census, the largest delegation originates from Butler Parish in Hispaniola, with 27 representatives. Two parishes and one state have exactly one representative, the parishes of Abarough, Stonewall and the provisional state of the Virgin Islands.
The House is charged with the creation of federal legislation known as provisional bills, which after being reviewed by the Senate are sent to the President, with input from the Executive Council are enacted. The House has exclusive legislative powers in regards to; revenue, impeachment and admission of states to the union. Unlike its predecessor, the modern House of Represenatives does not elect a president if no candidate receives a majority of parish electoral votes in the Electoral Congregation, rather the Senate will elect the president. The Provisional House of Representatives meets in the east wing of the United Commonwealth Capitol in Columbia City. The presiding officer is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who is elected by the members, and is subsequently the leader of the majority party. The Speaker and other floor leaders are chosen by the Civic Democratic Caucus or the Federalist Conference, depending on whichever party has the majority.
History
The United Commonwealth House of Representatives was originally established in 1866 following the establishment of the United Commonwealth of America during the War of Contingency. Similar to the United Commonwealth, the U.C. House of Representatives was the successor to the original United States House of Representatives and functioned in a similar way with representatives being elected to single-member districts from each state with the number of districts being determined by the state's respective population. Elections would occur once every two years to determine the control of the wider United Commonwealth Congress along with the Senate. Following the Continental Revolutionary War, the chamber was dissolved and any representatives who managed to survive the war and escape the American mainland during the Great Retreat evacuated to the Antilles for safety. During the Martial Period and Abarough Period, the National Assembly was a unicameral legislature and was a rubber stamp body that held limited power, especially under the system of Presidential Absolutism of Amelia Abarough who held complete power as an autocrat throughout her reign.
The modern House of Representatives was established in 1983 as part of the country's transition towards democracy and was created as part of a reorganization of the National Assembly under Eric Abarough, who wanted the legislative branch to reflect that of the original United States and the American Commonwealth. It would be a democratically elected body and function like its historic predecessors with the first elections taking place in 1984. Between 1985 until 1993, the House of Representatives was under the control of the Federalist Party as the several liberal and progressive parties that emerged after the start of democratization had competed amongst each other and prevented the non-Federalist opposition from being politically effective. In 1991, these parties would merge to create the modern Civic Democratic Party and won win its first major legislative victory in 1992.
Overview
Functions
Membership
Structure
Committees
See also
- List of current members of the United Commonwealth House of Representatives
- Women in the United Commonwealth House of Representatives
