Terwener General Council
Terwener General Council Terwener Algemene Raad | |
|---|---|
| 18th Council | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Preceded by | Representative Assembly of Terwenia (1658–1985) |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | Emiel Uitslag, LEP since 17 May 2009 |
Heemraad | Indri Weijers, LEP since 11 May 2013 |
Leader of the Opposition | Joeri Koudijs, AVP since 22 September 2019 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 18 |
 | |
Political groups | Government (7)
Confidence and Supply (3)
Opposition (8)
|
| Elections | |
| Closed list proportional representation D'Hondt method | |
Last election | 14 May 2021 |
Next election | May 2023 |
The Terwener General Council (Vistarian: Terwener Algemene Raad, Vorpestian: Kunsill Ġenerali Terwan) is the local council and legislature for the Vistari-administered areas of Ny'Tewien Island. The body is de jure responsible for the island's entirety according to the Terwenia Development Act of 1985, however the disputed nature of the island and history of violence between Vistari and Eyjarian settlers created a need for jurisdiction to be limited. Following the passage of the act, the document which would establish the body was written under a system of sending delegates from each household to vote. This document, formally the Consolidated Basic Laws of the Unincorporated Territory of Terwenia and often inaccurately referred to as the Terwener Constitution, created the council with the goal of modernizing and democratizing the preceding Representative Assembly of Terwenia established in 1658 by the Vistari Colonial Company.
The council is elected biannually. with its last election in May of 2021 via a territory-wide electoral district. Terwener residents living in Council-administered neighbourhoods, as well as ethnic Vistari residing anywhere on the island, are entitled to a vote in Council elections once they reach the age of 18. Following these elections, seats are allocated to political parties through party list proportional representation using the D'Hondt method with a 5% electoral threshold.
The council elects and is led by the Heemraad, who appoints the body's Speaker. Presently, the position of Heemraad is held by Indri Weijers, and the Speaker is Emiel Uitslag. Both are a part of the Liberal Economic Party (LEP), which has governed the territory alone or as part of a coalition since 2005. As such, the territory has often been described as under a dominant-party system despite the reduced ability of the LEP to govern without support of smaller parties since the party's electoral decline following their narrow victory in the 2019 election.