Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2023)

ARTICLE 10:   COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE OECS ASSEMBLY

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   10.1   The OECS Assembly shall comprise Members who are representatives, as provided in this Article, of the members of the Parliament and of the members of the Legislatures of the Member States.

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   10.2   Each Parliament of an independent State which is a full Member State shall be entitled to elect five of its members to the OECS Assembly. Each Legislature of any other Member State shall be entitled to elect three of its members to the OECS Assembly.

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   10.3   For the purposes of Article 10.2 —

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      (a)     the members of Parliament shall comprise elected government members chosen by the elected government members and elected opposition members chosen by the elected opposition members. The respective numbers of government members and opposition members shall reflect as nearly as possible the proportionate representation of government and opposition members in the selecting Parliament, provided that at least one member is chosen by the elected opposition members;

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      (b)     the members of the Legislature shall include at least two elected members chosen by the elected government members and shall include one elected member chosen by the elected opposition members.

Provided that the Heads of Government and the Leader of the Opposition shall be one of the government members and opposition members respectively;

Provided further that where there are no elected opposition members of Parliament or of the Legislature, the Head of State of the respective Member State shall designate one person to represent the opposition parties.

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   10.4   Where under Article 10.3 —

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      (a)     the proportion calculation leaves the distribution of seats between government and opposition members uncertain; or

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      (b)     disagreement among government members or among opposition members gives rise to uncertainty of selection;

the uncertainty shall be resolved by the relevant Parliament or Legislature by its ordinary procedures.

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   10.5   The tenure of membership of the OECS Assembly shall be 2 years from the date of election under Article 10.2 or until the next general election for, the Parliament or Legislature, whichever period is shorter.

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   10.6   The OECS Assembly shall when it is first convened elect from among eligible citizens a Speaker of the OECS Assembly to preside over its deliberations, and shall thereafter so elect whenever it is convened for the first time after the term of office of Speaker of the OECS Assembly has expired under Article 10.8. A former Speaker of the OECS Assembly who remains an eligible citizen is eligible for re-election.

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   10.7   The OECS Assembly shall whenever it elects a Speaker of the OECS Assembly under Article 10.6 elect also from among eligible citizens a Deputy Speaker of the OECS Assembly to preside over its deliberations in the absence of the Speaker of the OECS Assembly. A former Deputy Speaker of the OECS Assembly who remains an eligible citizen is eligible for re-election.

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   10.8   The term of office of the Speaker of the OECS Assembly shall run from the date of election to that office under Article 10.6 until the day preceding the date for which the OECS Assembly is convened for the first time after the expiry of 2 years from such date of election. The term of office of the Deputy Speaker of the OECS Assembly shall run from the date of election to that office under Article 10.7 until the day preceding the date for which the OECS Assembly is convened for the first time after the expiry of 2 years from such date of election.

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   10.9   Where, before the expiry of the term of office under Article 10.8, a vacancy in the office of Speaker of the OECS Assembly or in the office of Deputy Speaker of the OECS Assembly occurs on account of death, incapacity, resignation, or termination for cause pursuant to rules and regulations under Article 10.10, the OECS Assembly shall, when it is next convened, elect an eligible citizen to serve for any unexpired period of the term of office.

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   10.10   The terms and conditions of service of the Speaker of the OECS Assembly and of the Deputy Speaker of the OECS Assembly and the expense allowances to be paid to Members of the OECS Assembly shall be governed by such rules and regulations as are approved by the OECS Authority, which rules and regulations may allocate the relevant cost among the Member States of the Organisation.

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   10.11   An eligible citizen for the purpose of this Article is a citizen or a belonger of a Member State who is not disqualified from election to Parliament or the Legislature, as the case may be, in that Member State and who is not a member of the Parliament or Legislature of any Member State.

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   10.12   The Director-General shall appoint under Article 13.4 a Clerk to the OECS Assembly and such other members of staff as may, in the opinion of the Director-General, be required to assist the Speaker of the OECS Assembly, the Deputy Speaker of the OECS Assembly and the Clerk to the OECS Assembly in relation to the functioning of the OECS Assembly.

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   10.13   The OECS Assembly shall, within such time period as the OECS Authority may prescribe, consider and report —

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      (a)     to the OECS Authority —

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         (i)     on any proposal to enact an Act of the Organization under Article 8.10, and

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         (ii)     on any other matter referred to the OECS Assembly by the OECS Authority; and

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      (b)     to the Council of Ministers in the case of any proposal to make Regulations which has been referred to the OECS Assembly under Article 9.4.

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   10.14   The OECS Authority shall give directions relating to the convening of the OECS Assembly and such other aspects of the OECS Assembly's procedure as the OECS Authority considers fit. Subject to such directions, the OECS Assembly may determine its own procedure.