General Information
Barbados: House of Assembly, 24 May 2018
At stake in this election:
- 30 seats in the House of Assembly
Description of government structure:
- Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II *
- Head of Government: Prime Minister Freundel STUART**
- Assembly: Barbados has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate with 21 seats and the House of Assembly with 30 seats.
* The Queen is represented by Governor General Sir Eliot BELGRAVE
** New Prime Minister Mia MOTTLEY was sworn in 25 May, following this election
Description of electoral system:
- The Queen is hereditary head of state.
- In the Senate 21 members are appointed by the governor-general. In the House of Assembly 30 members are elected by direct vote to serve 5-year terms.
Main parties in the electoral race:
- Party: Barbados Labor Party (BLP)
- Leader: Mia MOTTLEY
- Seats won in last House of Assembly election: 14
- Party: Democratic Labor Party (DLP)
- Leader: Freundel STUART
- Seats won in last House of Assembly election: 16
- United Progressive Party (UPP)
- Leader: Lynette EASTMOND
- Seats won in last House of Assembly election: 0
- Coalition of United Parties (CUP)*
- Leader: Alex MITCHELL (BFP) and Mark ADAMSON (PDC)
- Seats won in last House of Assembly election: 0
- Solutions Barbados
- Leader: Grenville PHILLIPS II
- Seats won in last House of Assembly election: 0
* The Coalition of United Parties is comprised of two parties: The People's Democratic Congress (PDC) and the Bajan Free Party (BFP)
Population and number of registered voters:
- Population: 282,503 (2013)
- Registered Voters: 235,510 (January 2008 )
Gender Data:
· Female Population: 147,052 (2013)
· Is Barbados a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (24 July 1980)
· Has Barbados ratified CEDAW: Yes (16 October 1980)
· Gender Quota: No
· Female candidates in this election: Yes
· Number of Female Parliamentarians: 5 (following 2013 elections)
· Human Development Index Position: 57 (2014)
· Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A
Disability Data:
· Is Barbados a signatory to CRPD: Yes (19 July 2007)
· Has Barbados ratified CRPD: Yes (27 February 2013)
· Population with a disability: 442,375 (est.)