Executive authority is vested in the British crown, and the islands’ government is headed by a governor appointed by the crown. As outlined in the Falkland Islands constitution (2009), the governor is advised by an Executive Council consisting of three of the elected members of the and two ex officio, nonvoting members (the chief and the director of finance). The governor presides over the Executive Council and must consult with it in the discharge of most of his or her duties but may, in certain circumstances, act against the advice of the council. The Legislative Assembly has 10 members, eight of whom are elected to four-year terms from two constituencies, while the other two, the same nonvoting members as on the Executive Council, are ex officio. Both the chief executive and the director of finance are appointed by the governor. There are no political parties, and all members of the legislature are elected as independents. The voting age is 18. The 2009 constitution provides the islands’ government with a greater degree of autonomy than the previous (1985) constitution, but the governor must consult with the regional commander of the British military on issues concerning defense and internal security., The Falkland Islands (/ ˈfɔː (l) klənd, ˈfɒlk -/; [6] Spanish: Islas Malvinas [ˈislas malˈβinas]), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf., Falkland Islands, internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the South Atlantic Ocean. It lies about 300 miles northeast of the southern tip of South America and a similar distance east of the Strait of Magellan. The capital and major town is Stanley, on East Falkland..