The earliest arrival of people in the islands now known as The Bahamas was in the first millennium AD. The first inhabitants of the islands were the Lucayans,an Arawakan language-speaking Taino people,who arrived between about 500 and 800 AD from other islands of the Caribbean.
The Bahamas is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy headed by King Charles III in his role as King of the Bahamas. The politics of The Bahamas takes place within a framework of parliamentary democracy,with a Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The Bahamas is an Independent Country and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. As a former British colony,its political and legal traditions closely follow those of the United Kingdom. King Charles III is the head of state,but executive power is exercised by the cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and jurisprudence is based on English common law. The multi-party system is dominated by the Progressive Liberal Party and the Free National Movement. The constitution protects freedom of speech,press,worship,movement,and association.
Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, KCMG,PC,NH,JP was a Bahamian politician who is regarded by some as the "Father of the Nation",having led the Bahamas to majority rule and independence.
Perry Gladstone Christie PC,MP is a Bahamian former politician who served as prime minister of the Bahamas from 2002 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2017. He is the second longest-serving Bahamian elected parliamentarian,representing the Centreville constituency from 1977 to 2017. He is also a former athlete. His Progressive Liberal Party is the oldest Bahamian political party,holding solid majorities in the Bahamian Parliament several times in its long history.
The Free National Movement is a political party in the Bahamas formed in the early 1970s and led by Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield. The current leader of the party is Michael Pintard and the current deputy leader is Shanendon Cartwright.
The Progressive Liberal Party is a populist and social liberal party in the Bahamas. Philip Davis is the leader of the party.
Hubert Alexander Ingraham,PC is a Bahamian politician who was Prime Minister of the Bahamas from August 1992 to May 2002,and again from May 2007 to May 2012. He is a member of the Free National Movement Party (FNM). Prior to the 2012 election,he was the FNM's Party Leader and was the Member of Parliament for the North Abaco constituency. He served as leader of the opposition in the House of Assembly of the Bahamas from 2005 to 2007.
Elections in the Bahamas take place in the framework of a parliamentary democracy. Since independence,voter turnout has been generally high in national elections,with a low of 87.9% in 1987 and a high of 98.5% in 1997. The current Prime Minister is The Hon. Philip Davis.
General elections were held in the Bahamas on 2 May 2007. The result was an opposition victory,with the Free National Movement,led by former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham,claiming 23 of the 41 seats. Incumbent Prime Minister Perry Christie conceded defeat in a phone call to his rival. Ingraham was sworn into the office of Prime Minister on 4 May.
General elections were held in the Bahamas on 2 May 2002. The opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) won 29 of the 40 seats in the House of Assembly to defeat the governing Free National Movement (FNM). Voter turnout was 90.2%.
Renward Ricardo Wells is a Bahamian politician and retired sprinter who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bamboo Town from 2012 to 2021. In sprinting,he specialized in the 100 metres.
Frederick Audley Mitchell Jr. is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs for the third time. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fox Hill,first elected in 2002 and then again in 2021. He also served two terms in the Senate.
General elections were held in the Bahamas on 7 May 2012. They were the first general election in which a third party offered a full slate of candidates alongside the two major parties,the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP). The result was a victory for the opposition PLP,whose leader Perry Christie became prime minister.
General elections were held in the Bahamas on 16 September 2021 to elect all 38 members of the House of Assembly.
Picewell A. L. "Soca" Forbes is a Bahamian former Progressive Liberal Party politician and broadcaster who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mangrove Cay and South Andros from 2007 to 2021.
Cat Island,Rum Cay and San Salvador is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Assembly of the Bahamas. It elects one Member of Parliament using the first-past-the-post voting method. The Incumbent Member of Parliament is Philip "Brave" Davis,who serves as Prime Minister of the Bahamas and Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).
Michael Clifton Pintard is a Bahamian politician serving as Leader of the Free National Movement and leader of the opposition since 27 November 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Marco City,Grand Bahama since 2017. First appointed in 2010,he served two terms in the Senate. He was the Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources from 2018 to 2021.
JoBeth Lillian Coleby-Davis is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician and attorney who has been the Bahamian Minister of Housing and Transport since 23 September 2021 and the Member of Parliament for Elizabeth since 6 October 2021. Coleby-Davis defeated the FNM incumbent Duane Sands in the 2021 general election. She previously served in the Senate from 2017 to 2021.
Isaac Chester Cooper is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician serving as Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas to Philip Davis and Minister of Tourism and Aviation since September 2021. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for The Exumas and Ragged Island since 2017.
Pia T. Glover-Rolle is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician,entrepreneur,and philanthropist who is currently The Bahamas Minister of Labour and Public Service since 11 September 2023. Previously serving as the Bahamian Minister of State for Public Service since 23 September 2021 and the Member of Parliament for Golden Gates. Glover Rolle defeated FNM incumbent Michael Foulkes in the 2021 general election.
