CHAPTER III - PART 3

Summoning, prorogation and dissolution

Sessions

Prorogation and Dissolution

Holdings of Elections

54. Sessions

(1) Each session of Parliament shall be held at such place within Saint Lucia and shall begin at such time, not being later than 12 months from the end of the preceding session if Parliament has been prorogued or one month from the holding of a general election of members of the House if Parliament has been dissolved, as the Governor General shall appoint by Proclamation.

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1), the sittings of the Senate or the House shall be held at such time and place as it may, by its rules of procedure or otherwise, determine.

55. Prorogation and dissolution

(1) The Governor General may at any time prorogue or dissolve Parliament.

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) Parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for 5 years from the date of the first sitting of the House after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved.

(3) At any time when Saint Lucia is at war, Parliament may extend the period of 5 years specified in subsection (2) for not more than 12 months at a time:

Provided that the life of Parliament shall not be extended under this subsection for more than 5 years.

(4) In the exercise of his or her powers to dissolve Parliament, the Governor General shall act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister:

Provided that—

(a) if the Prime Minister advises a dissolution and the Governor General, acting in his or her own deliberate judgment, considers that the government of Saint Lucia can be carried on without a dissolution and that a dissolution would not be in the interests of Saint Lucia, he or she may, acting in his or her own deliberate judgment, refuse to dissolve Parliament;

(b) if a resolution of no confidence in the Government is passed by the House and the Prime Minister does not within 3 days either resign or advise a dissolution, the Governor General, acting in his or her own deliberate judgment, may dissolve Parliament; and

(c) if the office of the Prime Minister is vacant and the Governor General, acting in his or her own deliberate judgment, considers that there is no prospect of his or her being able within a reasonable time to make an appointment to that office, the Governor General shall dissolve Parliament.

(5) If, after a dissolution of Parliament and before the holding of a general election of members of the House, the Prime Minister advises the Governor General that, owing to the existence of a state of war or of a state of emergency in Saint Lucia, it is necessary to recall Parliament, the Governor General shall summon the Parliament that has been dissolved to meet, but, unless the life of Parliament is extended under the provision of subsection (3), the general election shall proceed and the Parliament that has been recalled shall, if not sooner dissolved, again stand dissolved on the date appointed for the nomination of candidates in the general election.

56. Holdings of elections

(1) A general election of members of the House shall be held at such time within 3 months after any dissolution of Parliament as the Governor General may appoint.

(2) Where the seat of a member of the House or a Senator falls vacant otherwise than by reason of a dissolution of Parliament—

(a) if the vacant seat is that of a member of the House, a by-election shall be held; or

(b) if the vacant seat is that of a Senator an appointment shall be made, to fill the vacancy within 3 months of the occurrence of the vacancy unless Parliament is sooner dissolved.