Type Bicameral | Prime Minister Dean Barrow, UDP | |
 | ||
Houses Senate (upper house)House of Representatives (lower house) President of the Senate Lee Mark ChangSince 18 November 2015 Vice President of the Senate Godwin Hulse, UDPSince November 2015 Leader of the Opposition John Briceño, PUPSince 29 January 2016 | ||
The National Assembly is the bicameral legislature of the nation of Belize. It is divided into the House of Representatives, with 31 members, elected by universal suffrage, and the Senate, with 13 members, appointed by the Governor-General in consultation with the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The presiding officer of the House is the Speaker, while the Senate is presided over by the President.
Contents
History
The National Assembly of Belize, then known as British Honduras was first introduced on 31 December, 1963, replacing the unicameral Legislative Assembly.
The National Assembly has the power to debate and create laws based on the Constitution. It typically meets, both House and Senate, once a month, with other meetings called as necessary.
National Assembly Building, Belmopan
Since the relocation of the capital to Belmopan, the Parliament has sat at National Assembly Building, Belmopan since 1970.
