House of Commons (Antilla)

The House of Commons is the lower chamber of the bicameral Parliament of Antilla, its corresponding upper chamber called the Senate. The House of Commons consists of 80 seats, each representing an electoral district of approximately equal population. Sitting members of the House of Commons are known as members of Parliament (MPs), with Senate members called senators. The House of Commons is exclusively responsible for proposing new legislation and, less commonly, proposing to repeal a law, followed by a House vote in which all MPs may cast a single vote either "for" or "against" the proposal or, alternatively, choosing to abstain from voting at their own discretion, with proposals thus requiring only a plurality of "for" votes to be approved. Following approval by the House, a legislative proposal is then presented to the Senate, with a proposal's fate decided by a Senate vote, which contrasts with the initial House vote in that senators may only cast a vote of approval, abstention being interpreted as a vote against the proposal, with a majority thus the same as a plurality. Once approved by the Senate, the proposal is delivered to the President of Antilla, who formally signs the proposed legislation into law or formally repeals a law (depending on the nature of the legislative proposal).

The House of Commons is also responsible for nominating the Prime Minister of Antilla, who is therefore virtually always chosen from the political party or coalition holding at least a plurality of seats in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister must maintain the confidence of the House of Commons in order to remain in office, as the House is empowered by the Constitution of Antilla to remove the Prime Minister by a simple vote of no confidence, with the House required to immediately hold fresh elections in order to re-establish the status quo prior to nominating a new prime minister. The House of Commons meets in the south wing of Parliament House, the identical north wing hosting meetings of the Senate. House of Commons elections are held every four years at a minimum, as MPs serve a four-year term and are all elected at the same time. There is no limit to the number of terms an MP may serve consecutively, with the removal of an MP possible only by the election to the same seat of a contester. The House of Commons elects one of its MPs as House Speaker annually, who is responsible for presiding over deliberations, moderating debates and calling votes. Unlike an MP or prime minister, the House may not elect an incumbent Speaker to a consecutive term, with a former speaker required to await the end of at least one other speaker's term before once again becoming eligible for election to another yearlong term as House Speaker.