Caribbean Use of Regional Seats

Several island nations could benefit by using RS voting

Contents

Likely Regional Seats for Jamaica

Say 60 directly elected, one per constituency; ..with these grouped into twelve Regions — so, 72 elected to the Assembly.

Taking the 2020 election results for the 63 existing constituencies, and grouping them into thirteen regions, gives a rough indication of what the foregoing might look like. [Bearing in mind the set of regions could certainly be different.]

Approximate Regions …

  • East End:_ St. Andrew East Rural; St. Thomas [2]; Portland [2]
  • St. Mary & St. Ann East:_ St. Mary [3]; St. Ann [2]
  • Trelawney & St. Ann West:_ Trelawney [2]; St. Ann [2]
  • St. James:_ all five
  • West End:_ Hanover [2]; Westmoreland [3]
  • St. Elizabeth:_ all four
  • Manchester:_ all four, plus Clarendon NW
  • Clarendon:_ all five
  • St. Catherine N&W:_ St. Catherine – N Central; NE; NW; Central; SW
  • St. Catherine SE:_ St. Catherine – South; S Central; Central; East; E Central
  • Capital Centre:_ Kingston [3]; St. Andrew South; and SW
  • Capital North East:_ St. Andrew – East; NE; N Central; NW; West Rural
  • Capital South West:_ St. Andrew – SE; E Central; W Central; West; plus St.Catherine SE

Two of these regions likely would have the Regional Member being of the Labour party, ..while the others all from the PNP.

So the PNP, currently at 22% of the Assembly, would be ~33% instead.

Trinidad and Tobago

Installing a Regional Seats system could mean having 9 regions of 4 seats each, so: …36 directly elected, plus 9 Regionals = 45 Members in parliament.

For illustrative purposes, here are the current 41 seats assembled into nine regions, a rough approximation of what a Regional Seats set-up might look like.

  • 1)_ Diego Martin West; –Central; –Northeast; ..Port of Spain South; –North–St Ann’s West
  • 2)_ Laventille W; Laventille E–Morvant; Barataria–San Juan; St Joseph; St Ann’s East
  • 3)_ Tunapuna; St Augustine; Arouca–Maloney; Lopinot–Bon Air West; D’abadie–O’Meara
  • 4)_ Arima; Toco–Sangre Grande; Tobago W; Tobago E
  • 5)_ Chaguanas W; –E; Caroni E; La Horquetta–Talparo
  • 6)_ Couva N; Couva S; Caroni Central; Tabaquite; Pointe-â-Pierre
  • 7)_ San Fernando W; –E; Naparina; Oropouche E
  • 8)_ Oropouche W; Fyzabad; La Brea; Point Fortin; Siparia
  • 9)_ Moruga–Tableland; Princes Town; Mayaro; Cumuto–Manzilla

Barbados

Currently (mid 2021) all 30 seats in the Barbados Assembly are filled by Members of one party; there are no opposition voices there at all. Obviously, this could not occur under a Regional Seats electoral system.

A likely scenario is seven regions of four seats each, giving an Assembly of 35 in total.