Federal Parliament of the West Indies Federation
The Federal Parliament of the West Indies Federation was the bicameral legislature in West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. It was formally made up of two houses, an appointed Senate (Upper house) and an elected House of Representatives (Lower house).
Federal Parliament of the West Indies Federation | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Senate House of Representatives |
| History | |
| Founded | April 1958 |
| Disbanded | July 1962 |
| Structure | |
Senate political groups |
|
House of Representatives political groups |
|
Length of term | 5 years (maximum) |
| Elections | |
Senate voting system | Appointment by the governor general |
Last House of Representatives election | 25 March 1958 |
| Meeting place | |
| Port of Spain, Trinidad | |
The governor general, on behalf of the monarch, summoned and appointed the 19 senators, while each of the 45 members of the House of Representatives represented an electoral district, and were elected by voters residing in the district. The governor general also summoned and called together the House of Representatives, and had the power to prorogue or dissolve Parliament, in order to either end a parliamentary session or call a general election.
The only election was held in 1958. It remained for 4 years until the dissolution of the federation in 1962. The official language of the Parliament was English.