32. Disqualifications for election
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(1) A person shall not be qualified to be elected as a member of the House (hereinafter in this section referred to as a member) if he or she—
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(a) is by virtue of his or her own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state;
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(b) is a minister of religion;
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© is an undischarged bankrupt, having been adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt under any law in force in any part of the Commonwealth;
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(d) is a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any such law;
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© is under sentence of death imposed on him or her by a court of law in any part of the Commonwealth or is serving a sentence of imprisonment (by whatever name called) exceeding 12 months imposed on him or her by such a court or substituted by competent authority for some other sentence imposed on him or her by such a court, or is under such a sentence of imprisonment the execution of which has been suspended; or
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(f) subject to such exceptions and limitations as may be prescribed by Parliament, has an interest in any government contract.
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(2) If it is so provided by Parliament, a person shall not be qualified to be elected as a member if he or she holds or is acting in any office that is specified by Parliament and the functions of which involve responsibility for, or in connection with, the conduct of any election of members or the compilation of any register of voters for the purpose of electing members.
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(3) If it is so provided by Parliament, a person who is convicted by any court of law of any offence that is prescribed by Parliament and that is connected with the election of members or who is reported guilty of such an offence by the court trying an election petition shall not be qualified, for such period (not exceeding 7 years) following his or her conviction or, as the case may be, following the report of the court as may be so prescribed, to be elected as a member.
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(4) A person shall not be qualified to be elected as a member if he or she is a Senator.
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(5) If it is so provided by Parliament and subject to such exceptions and limitations (if any) as Parliament may prescribe, a person shall not be qualified to be elected as a member if—
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(a) he or she holds or is acting in any office or appointment (whether specified individually or by reference to a class of office or appointment);
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(b) he or she belongs to any of the armed forces of Saint Lucia or to any class of person that is comprised in any such force;
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© he or she belongs to any police force or to any class of person that is comprised in any such force; or
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(d) he or she has, within such period (not exceeding 3 years) as Parliament may prescribe, held or acted in any office or appointment the tenure of which would, by virtue of any provision made under this subsection, disqualify him or her for election as a member, being an office or appointment the emoluments of which exceed such amount as Parliament may prescribe.
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(6) In subsection (1)—
“government contract” means any contract made with the Government or with a department of the Government or with an officer of the Government contracting as such;
“minister of religion” means any person in holy orders and any other person the functions of whose principal occupation include teaching or preaching in any congregation for religious worship.
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(7) For the purposes of subsection (1)©—
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(a) two or more sentences of imprisonment that are required to be served consecutively shall be regarded as separate sentences if none of those sentences exceeds 12 months, but if any one of such sentences exceeds that term they shall be regarded as one sentence; and
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(b) no account shall be taken of a sentence of imprisonment imposed as an alternative to or in default of the payment of a fine.