Politics of Saint Helena


Politics of Saint Helena takes place in a framework of limited self-government as a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, whereby the governor is the head of government. Saint Helena, an island in the southern Atlantic Ocean, is a part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
It has had its present constitution since 1 September 2009. Executive power is exercised by the governor and the Executive Council. Legislative power is vested in both the governor and the Legislative Council. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The territory maintains its own police service, the Royal Saint Helena Police Service, while defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. No British military forces are stationed on Saint Helena, although the Royal Air Force maintains a staging base on constituent Ascension Island.
Saint Helena had until 2009 two dependencies: Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. These territories have their own political structures with Administrators under the governor of Saint Helena. They are now equal parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha along with St Helena itself.

Legislative branch

The Legislative Council has 15 members, 12 members elected for a four-year term by popular vote and 3 members ex officio. This arrangement gives the governing of Saint Helena an aspect of representative democracy.

Political parties and elections

Saint Helena, along with both Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, does not have any active political parties, although no law forbids their formation; hence, the territory is a de facto non-partisan democracy. The Saint Helena Labour Party and Saint Helena Progressive Party existed until 1976.
In the most recent general election, the twelve elected members are:
  1. Rebecca Elizabeth Cairns-Wicks
  2. Andrew James Turner *
  3. Corinda Sebastiana Stuart Essex *
  4. Karl Gavin Thrower *
  5. Dennis Karl Leo
  6. Derek Franklin Thomas
  7. Gillian Ann Brooks *
  8. Martin Dave Henry *
  9. Robert Charles Midwinter *
  10. Clint Richard Beard
  11. Julie Dorne Thomas *
  12. Ronald Arthur Coleman *

Judicial branch

The territory has four courts of its own:
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London, is the final court of appeal for the territory however, as is the case with all other British overseas territories.

International organization participation