View source for Elections in Montserrat

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{{Politics of Montserrat}}
[[File:Montserrat electoral districts.svg|thumb|right|Map of the polling divisions used for vote counting]]
'''Elections in Montserrat''' take place within the framework of a multi-party democracy and a [[parliamentary system]]. The [[Legislative Assembly of Montserrat|Legislative Assembly]] is directly elected, and a [[Chief Minister of Montserrat|Chief Minister]] is selected by the party or coalition with the most seats in the Assembly.

==Electoral history==
Elections were held in [[Montserrat]] in the 19th century, but with a severely limited franchise; in 1837 only 114 of the 7,119 residents of the island were eligible to vote.<ref>Howard A Fergus (2004) ''Montserrat: History of a Caribbean Colony'', Macmillan Caribbean, 2004, p78</ref> The partially elected Legislative Assembly dissolved itself in 1866 and was replaced with a wholly appointed body,<ref>Howard A Fergus (1985) ''Rule Britannia: Politics in British Montserrat'', University Centre, p11</ref> which remained in place until 1937 when constitutional reforms reintroduced elected members. The reorganised legislature had nine seats; four elected, three held by government officials and two by nominees appointed by the [[Governor of Montserrat|Governor]].<ref>Fergus (1985), p12</ref> The [[1937 Montserratian general election|first elections]] in Montserrat in the 20th century took place in the same year.

[[Universal suffrage]] was introduced in 1951,<ref>[http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ms/election2014/elections/default.asp Past Election Results 1952 - 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706175850/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ms/election2014/elections/default.asp |date=2015-07-06 }} Caribbean Elections</ref> and the [[1952 Montserratian general election|1952 elections]] were the first in which all adults on the island could vote. They saw the [[Montserrat Labour Party]] win all five elected seats in the [[Legislative Council of Montserrat|Legislative Council]]. The MLP subsequently won elections in [[1955 Montserratian general election|1955]], [[1958 Montserratian general election|1958]], [[1961 Montserratian general election|1961]] (when the council was expanded to seven seats) and [[1966 Montserratian general election|1966]].

The [[1970 Montserratian general election|1970 elections]] saw the new [[Progressive Democratic Party (Montserrat)|Progressive Democratic Party]] (PDP) win all seven seats. The PDP also won the [[1973 Montserratian general election|1973 elections]], but was defeated in [[1978 Montserratian general election|1978]] when the [[People's Liberation Movement (Montserrat)|People's Liberation Movement]] (PLM) won all seven seats. The PLM went on to win the [[1983 Montserratian general election|1983]] and [[1987 Montserratian general election|1987 elections]].

The [[1991 Montserratian general election|1991 elections]] were won by the [[National Progressive Party (Montserrat)|National Progressive Party]], which won four of the seven seats. The [[1996 Montserratian general election|1996 elections]] resulted in a [[hung parliament]], with the [[People's Progressive Alliance (Montserrat)|People's Progressive Alliance]] (PPA) and [[Movement for National Reconstruction]] (MNR) holding two seats, the NPP holding one, and the remaining seats taken by two independents. The island's first coalition government was formed by the MNR, NPP and an independent MP.

A new electoral system was introduced for the [[2001 Montserratian general election|2001 elections]] as a result of the [[Soufrière Hills|volcanic eruptions]] rendering four of the seven constituencies uninhabitable. The seven single-member constituencies were replaced with one nine-member constituency in which voters could vote for nine candidates.<ref name=CE/> The elections were won by the [[New People's Liberation Movement]] (NPLM), which took seven of the nine seats. The [[2006 Montserratian general election|2006 elections]] resulted in another hung parliament, and although the [[Movement for Change and Prosperity]] (MCAP) emerged as the largest party with four seats, the NPLM and the [[Montserrat Democratic Party]] formed a coalition government together with the sole independent MP. Although the NPLM held three seats and the MDP one, MDP leader [[Lowell Lewis]] became Chief Minister.

The [[2009 Montserratian general election|2009 elections]] were won by the MCAP, which took six of the nine seats. In 2011 the Legislative Council was abolished and replaced by the Legislative Assembly. In the [[2014 Montserratian general election|first elections]] to the new body in 2014, the MCAP was defeated by the new [[People's Democratic Movement (Montserrat)|People's Democratic Movement]], which won seven seats.

==Electoral system==
The nine members of the Legislative Assembly are elected for five-year terms in a single constituency in which voters can vote for nine candidates.<ref name=CE>[http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ms/elections/ms_results_2001.asp General Election Results - 2 April 2001] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206002440/http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ms/elections/ms_results_2001.asp |date=6 February 2018 }} Caribbean Elections</ref> The island is split into six polling divisions for vote counting.<ref>[http://www.caribbeanelections.com/ms/districts/default.asp Polling Divisions] Caribbean Elections</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140912163808/http://www.elections.ms/ Election Commission]

{{Montserratian elections|state=expanded}}
{{North America topic|Elections in}}
{{Montserrat topics}}

[[Category:Elections in Montserrat| ]]