download House or Representatives Functions

The House of Representatives consists of thirty-one Members (increased from 18 to 28 by
Act No. 16 of 1984). Thereafter, increased from 28 to 29 by the “Representation of the
People (Amendment) Act 2 of 1993”. Act 11 of 2005 brought another increase of two
divisions in Belmopan and Cayo North East, who are all elected in the manner provided by
law under the 1981 Constitution. This means that there are now thirty-one electoral
divisions or constituencies which are distributed as follows: four (4) each for the districts
of Corozal and Orange Walk, six (6) for the Cayo District, two (2) each for the districts of
Stann Creek and Toledo, ten (10) for the Belize District, and three (3) for rural Belize
District. Belize City has ten electoral divisions because about one-third of the population
resides there and all the divisions are determined by the number of people who are living
there.

The House of Representatives, (so called because they are elected by the people to
represent them) is presided over during their meetings by a Speaker, who is elected by the
thirty-one members of the House either from among themselves, or from outside of the
House. If a person who is not a member of the House of Representatives is elected to be a
Speaker by the members, he is then a member of the House but cannot vote although he
does command a very great amount of authority with regards to the smooth running of the
House of Representatives.

There is also a Deputy Speaker who is elected by the members from among themselves
and who takes over the Chair in the absence of the Speaker. No member who is a Minister
is allowed to be elected to the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker.

HOW THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IS ELECTED

To be a member of the House of Representatives (M.H.R.) a candidate must have gained
the most votes in an election in any one of the thirty-one constituencies into which the
country is divided for voting purposes. It is in this way that the Government is by the
people. Everyone is entitled to vote when he or she is 18 years, unless he or she is not a
British subject or a Commonwealth Citizen, is of unsound mind, has been found guilty of
any illegal practices under the Representation of the People Act within the last six years, or
is in prison for any serious crime. Voting is not compulsory, but it is the duty of every
citizen who is registered to make use of this great privilege which is denied to millions of
people in the world.

General Elections must be held at intervals of not longer than five years. The Prime
Minister has the right to advise the Governor-General to dissolve the National Assembly
and so determine the date of the next General Elections.

All citizens who are entitled to vote are also entitled to be candidates provided they are not: undischarged bankrupts; or hold office in the Public Service; under any other
acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state and
have resided in Belize for a period of at least one year immediately before the date of his
nomination for election .

These are some of the more important requirements for candidates who must also have the voter’s qualifications to contest a seat.

FUNCTIONS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The National Assembly, which includes both the House of Representatives and the Senate,
like the British Parliament, is often referred to as ‘the Legislature’ – the body which makes
laws. Its essential function could probably be best described as to discuss what the
Government has done, is doing and intends to do, and on occasion to try to show up the
Government’s errors and even try to persuade the Government to change or modify its
policies. Nevertheless, new laws can only come into force when they have passed through
the National Assembly, and the way in which it deals with ‘bills’ (that is, proposals for
new laws) gives a very good illustration of the National Assembly’s working beside being
interesting and important in itself.

In Belize almost all the bills are introduced by the Government. Many bills are passed
each year, some are short and not very controversial, some of them long and needing much discussion. Every bill brought in by Government has first been approved by the Cabinet.

Once the Government has decided to introduce a bill, one Minister is charged with the
responsibility. The preparation of the text may take months, with long consultations
involving Public Officers in the Minister’s department on the one hand and the Attorney
General’s Office, which does the legal drafting or writing of bills. The Minister himself or
the Public Officers may have conferences with officials from other departments, and also
with representatives of groups of people (such as Chamber of Commerce, bankers,
agriculturalists) who may be affected or interested in some way by the proposed new law.

The National Assembly is responsible for other tasks as well as the passing of bills. The
Government cannot legally spend any money without prior permission of the House of
Representatives. The Government seeks this permission when it tables its budget each
year, in March.

The expenditures to be made during the year are based on Government’s policy which is
party policy, that the voters have approved by giving the party a majority at the last general elections, and the House gives the expert officials of the Departments and the Ministry of Finance authority to decide how much it will cost to carry out the policies. The House will debate the merits of the policies, but will not try to discuss the cost. It establishes a Public Accounts Committee, made up of members of the House, which keeps a close check on how the money is spent and ensures that all expenditure has been in accordance with amounts voted by the House.

Apart from legislation and finance, the House of Representatives also discusses the
Government’s administrative policies in many aspects, the need to improve roads, the
question of workers’ benefits, foreign affairs or a very serious epidemic at home; and many
other topics which are of political interest that require Government’s action.

Representatives are normally expected to vote with their parties almost automatically,
rather than at every vote have to decide for themselves as individuals. Like members of
other parliaments they are always being pressed by the interested parties and stirred up
public opinion, but party discipline, as a condition of full governmental responsibility may
provide a satisfactory corrective to the worst aspects of any such outside pressures.