Governor-General
From Open Encyclopedia
Governor-General (in Canada, Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. The title has been, and is still used, for representatives of the Crown in the Realms of the Commonwealth, or in countries which were once British possessions. A primary example is the position as Governor-General of India, which existed from 1773 to 1950. The Representative of the Crown is a term used in various constitutions to refer to the Governor-General; also, the term viceroy is often used informally to describe such a post.
The Dutch Monarchy also employs the use of a Governor General for its overseas territories, including the Governors General of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.
This title was also in use in the Imperial Russia for some time, see the Guberniya article.
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Commonwealth usages
Today the title Governor-General is used in countries which recognise the British Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II as the titular head of state, or monarch, excluding the United Kingdom.
In its modern usage, the term "Governor-General" originated in those British colonies which became self-governing "Dominions," as they were at one time styled, of the British Empire; (examples are Australia, Canada and New Zealand). With the exception of New Zealand, each of these federated colonies' previously constituent colonies already had a Governor, and the Queen's representative to the federated "Dominion" was therefore given the superior title Governor-General. New Zealand was granted Dominion status in 1907, but as it it is not a federal state there was no pressing need to change the Governor's title. Finally on 28 June 1917 the Earl of Liverpool was appointed the first Governor-General of New Zealand. Another non-federal state, Newfoundland, was a dominion for 16 years with the Queen's representative retaining the title of Governor throughout this time. Since the 1950's, however, the term Governor-General was given to all 'viceroys' of independent states, even those without a federal system of government, for example Jamaica. In these cases, the former colonial Governor was "upgraded" (sometimes for the same incumbent) to the title of Governor-General upon independence as the nature of the office became a universal 'constitutional figurehead' position, no longer colonial governance.
In these countries, now known as Commonwealth Realms, the Governor-General acts as the Monarch's representative, performing all the ceremonial and constitutional functions of a Head of state.
The Governor-General may exercise almost all the reserve powers of the Monarch. Except in rare cases, the Governor-General only acts in accordance with constitutional convention and upon the advice of the Prime Minister. A rare and controversial case of a Governor General independently exercising his authority occurred in 1975, when the Governor-General of Australia, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.
In principle, the crown could overrule a Governor-General, but this has not happened in modern times.
Appointment
Image:Healy.jpg Until the 1920s, the Governors-General were British, appointed on the advice of the British Government, and acted as the representative of the British Government in each Dominion. The Governor-General could be instructed by the Colonial Secretary on the exercise of some of his functions and duties, such as the use or withholding of the Royal Assent from legislation. In 1931, as a result of discussions at the 1926 Commonwealth Conference and the resulting Balfour Declaration, the Statute of Westminster was enacted and this aspect of the role was abolished. The Governor-General became the direct representative of the country's Sovereign only, and governmental relations with the United Kingdom were placed in the hands of a British High commissioner in each country.
Also, in 1929, the Australian Prime Minister James Scullin established the right of a Dominion Prime Minister to advise the Monarch directly on the appointment of a Governor-General, by insisting that his choice (Sir Isaac Isaacs, an Australian) prevail over the recommendation of the British government. The convention was gradually established throughout the Commonwealth that the Governor-General (or Governor General) is a citizen of the country concerned, and is appointed on the advice of the government of that country, with no input from the British government. The first Governor-General of India was Lord Mountbatten, who had been the last Viceroy; the second (and last) Governor-General was Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari; thereafter the post was replaced with the largely identical post of non-executive President under the 1950 Indian Constitution.
Today the following countries have Governors-General:
| Commonwealth Realm | From | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 1867 | Website |
| Australia | 1901 | Website |
| New Zealand | 1917 | Website |
| Jamaica | 1962 | |
| Barbados | 1966 | Website |
| Bahamas | 1973 | Website |
| Grenada | 1974 | |
| Papua New Guinea | 1975 | |
| Solomon Islands | 1978 | |
| Tuvalu | 1978 | |
| Saint Lucia | 1979 | Website |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1979 | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1981 | |
| Belize | 1981 | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1983 |
The Governor-General is usually a person with a distinguished record of public service, often a retired politician, judge or military commander; but some countries have also appointed prominent figures from sport, academia, the clergy, philanthrophy or the news media to the office. The Governor-General is formally appointed by the Monarch, following the specific request of the Prime Minister of the country concerned. Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands are the only realms that elect their Governors-General in some form: selection by a parliamentary vote.
Other attributes
- Main article: Administrator of the Government
Different realms have different constitutional arrangements governing who acts in place of the Governor-General following his or her death, resignation, or incapacity.
- In Australia, the government of the day nominates a person as "Administrator of the Commonwealth" to perform the necessary official functions, pending a decision and consultation with the Sovereign about a permanent replacement as Governor-General. By convention, the Administrator has usually been the senior Governor of the Australian states, but there is nothing to prevent a different person from being appointed.
- In Canada, Jamaica, and New Zealand, it is the Chief Justice.
- In Papua New Guinea, it is the Speaker of the House.
- Many Caribbean countries have a specific office of "Deputy Governor-General."
Most Commonwealth countries that originally had Governors-General are now republics, with the head of state being an autochthonous President. Some are parliamentary republics, like India, where the presidency is a ceremonial post, like the Monarch in the UK. In others, like South Africa, the presidency is an executive post, as in the United States. Australia held a referendum on becoming a parliamentary republic in 1999, but this was rejected. The current governments of Barbados and Jamaica have announced plans to hold referenda on becoming republics, in each case with a ceremonial President replacing the Queen as head of state, as Trinidad and Tobago did in 1976. It is not known whether these plans will proceed, however, nor whether the referenda would approve the changes.
Traditionally, the Governor-General's official attire was the court dress, Windsor uniform or other military uniform, but this practice been abandoned in most jurisdictions in modern times. In South Africa, the Governors-General of the Union nominated by the AfrikanerNationalist government chose not to wear the uniform. Most Governors-General continue to wear ceremonial medals on their clothing during special occasions, however.
In most Commonwealth realms, the flag of the Governor-General has been the standard pattern of a blue flag with the Royal Crest (lion standing on a crown) above a scroll with the name of the jurisdiction. In Canada, however, this was replaced with a lion (with a crown) clasping a maple leaf. In the Solomon Islands, the scroll is replaced with a two-headed frigate bird motif, while in Fiji, the former Governor-General's flag featured a whale's tooth.
Governors-General are accorded the style of His/Her Excellency. This style is also extended to their spouses, whether female or male (for an example of the latter case, see Jean-Daniel Lafond).
Former colonial Commonwealth posts
The title has been is use in many British colonial entities that either don't exist any more or no longer are under colonial administration. (list still quite incomplete)
in the British Americas
- The Federation of the West Indies (Antigua, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Turks and Caicos Islands), less commonly referred to as British Caribbean Federation, had a single governor-general during its short existence, 3 January 1958 - 31 May 1962 : Governor-general Patrick George Thomas Buchan-Hepburn, Baron Hailes (b. 1901 - d. 1974); besides him was a Prime minister since 18 April 1958
in British Asia
- British India (the subcontinent)- confer Viceroy
in British Africa
- 1 August 1953 - 31 December 1963 The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (also called the Central African Federation) comprising Southern Rhodesia (present Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (present Zambia) and Nysaland (present Malawi)
Former post-colonial posts representing the British Sovereign as local Head of State
(list still probably incomplete)
In Africa
- Gambia, two incumbents:
- 18 February 1965 - 9 February 1966 Sir John Warburton Paul (b. 1916 - d. 2004), formerly the last colonial Governor
- 9 February 1966 - 24 April 1970 Sir Farimang Mamadi Singateh (b. 1912); next it was a republic
- a special case was the single Officer Administering the Government, Clifford Walter Dupont (b. 1905 - d. 1978), RF, who was performing the role as if of a Governor general during the 'Government carried on in the name of the absent and non-consenting Queen of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II', 11 November 1965 - 2 March 1970, since the 11 November 1965 Unilateral declaration of independence from Britain of its colony as Rhodesia (not recognized), till 2 March 1970, when the same then sort of succeeded himself as first President of the Republic of Rhodesia (still not recognized), till 31 December 1975
In the Americas
- British Guyana:
- 26 May 1966 - 16 Decemebr 1966 Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt (b. 1915 - d. 1994), formerly the last colonial Governor
- 16 December 1966 - 10 November 1969 Sir David James Gardiner Rose (b. 1923 - d. 1969)
- 10 November 1969 - 22 February 1970 Sir Edward Victor Luckhoo (acting) (b. 1912 - d. 1998); next under a President
- Trinidad and Tobago:
- 31 August 1962 - 15 September 1972 Sir Solomon Hochoy (b. 1905 - d. 1983), formerly the last colonial Governor
- 15 September 1972 - 1 August 1976 Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke (b. 1917)
In Asia
- India
- 15 August 1947 - 21 June 1948 Louis Francis Mountbatten, Earl Mountbatten of Burma (s.a.), formerly the last colonial Viceroy
- 21 June 1948 - 26 January 1950 Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (b. 1878 - d. 1972); next the country is a republic
- Pakistan
- 15 August 1947 - 11 September 1948 Mohammad Ali Jinnah (b. 1876 - d. 1948) ML
- 14 September 1948 - 17 October 1951 Khwaja Nazimuddin (b. 1894 - d. 1964) ML
- 17 October 1951 - 6 October 1955 Ghulam Mohammad (b. 1895 - d. 1956) ML
- 6 October 1955 - 23 March 1956 Iskandar Ali Mirza (b. 1899 - d. 1969) Mil; next the country is a republic
Other Colonial usages
- From 1905 to 1935 the Philippines was administered by a Governor General appointed by the United States.
- From 1887 to 1945 the French appointed a Governor-General to govern French Indo-China (now Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia).
Netherlands
From 1691 to 1948 the Dutch appointed a Gouverneur-generaal ('Governor-General') to govern the Netherlands East Indies, now Indonesia.
Other Netherlands Dependent Areas:
| Netherlands Dependent Area | From | |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands Antilles | 1954 | Website |
| Aruba | 1986 | Website |
Other Western usages
- From 1636 to 1815 the Governors-General of Sweden, typically were appointed for the Swedish Dominions on the eastern side of the Baltic and in northern Germany, but occasionally also for Scania.
- From 1809 to 1918 there were Russian Governors-General in the Grand Duchy of Finland and various other Governorates-General.
- From 1939 to 1944, during the German occupation of Poland part of the country was designated the General Government and the Nazi official Hans Frank had the title Governor-General (Generalgouverneur für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete).
Oriental equivalents
- From 1644 to 1911, in Qing-dynasty China, a Governor General or zongdu (总督) was the highest official of joint military and civil affairs in one or several provinces (alternately translated, Viceroy)
- From 1895 to 1945, Taiwan was administered by the Japanese Governor-General of Taiwan.
- From 1910 to 1945, Korea was administered by the Japanese Governor-General of Korea.
Other equivalents
See also
- Administrator of the Government
- Lieutenant-Governor
- High Commissioner
- Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
- Governor-General of Finland
- Governor-General of India
- Governor-General of the Irish Free State
- Governor-General of Pakistan
- Governor-General of the Philippines
- Governor-General in the Swedish Realm
- Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
Sources and References
(incomplete)
es:Gobernador General eo:Guberniestro ĝenerala fr:Gouverneur général ka:გენერალ-გუბერნატორი ja:総督 simple:Governor General sv:Generalguvernör ru:Генерал-губернатор
