Pleasant M. M. Bridgewater (born 26 September 1960 in Freeport, Grand Bahama) is a Bahamian politician who served as Senator and Member of The House of Assembly for the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) of The Bahamas. She was the first Northern Bahamas woman to contest and serve in The Bahamas Parliament. She contested and was defeated in the 1992 general elections (High Rock constituency) and in September of that year was appointed and served in the Senate from 1992 to 1997 under the administration of Sir Lynden Pindling. In 1997, she again contested in the general elections (High Rock constituency) and was defeated. From 2002 to 2007 she was the PLP Member of Parliament representing the Marco City constituency. Following her defeat in the 2007 general election, she was again appointed to the Senate. In 2009, Bridgewater resigned from that position in order to fight extortion allegations relating to the premature death of John Travolta's autistic son. [1]
Bridgewater is also the senior partner of the Freeport-based law firm Bridgewater and Co., which she founded in 1997. She was called to the Bahamas Bar in 1992.
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.
Bermuda is the oldest British Overseas Territory, and the oldest self-governing British Overseas Territory, and has a great degree of internal autonomy through authority and roles of governance delegated to it by the national Government. Its parliament held its first session in 1620, making it the third-oldest continuous parliament in the world. As part of the British realm, King Charles III is head of state and is represented in Bermuda by a Governor, whom he appoints on the advice of the British Government. The Governor has special responsibilities in four areas: external affairs, defence, internal security, and policing.
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.
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 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. The electorate is less than half of citizenry.
Jessica Elizabeth Morden is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Newport East since 2005. A member of the Labour Party, she was General Secretary of Welsh Labour from 1999 until her election to Parliament.
Fred Gottlieb is a Bahamian lawyer and former Member of Parliament.
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.
David Shane Gibson is former Member of Parliament and former Cabinet Minister of Immigration, Labour and Training of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. He is the son of Bahamian entertainer "King" Eric Gibson.
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.
Philip Edward "Brave" Davis is a Bahamian politician serving as the prime minister of the Bahamas since 2021. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cat Island, Rum Cay & San Salvador from 1992 to 1997 and returned to the seat in May 2002, which he still represents.
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.
Orville Alton Thompson "Tommy" Turnquest, CBE is a Bahamian politician.
The Democratic National Alliance is a political party in The Bahamas, officially launched on 12 May 2011. The current leader of the DNA is Arinthia Komolafe, the Party's first female leader elected on 22 February 2019. Mrs. Komolafe succeeded Mr. Christopher A. Mortimer who served as Interim Leader from 24 October 2017 to 22 February 2019. He was preceded by the party's first leader and one of 13 founding members, Branville McCartney. The Party has contested two General Elections in The Bahamas in 2012 and 2017 gaining 8.5% and 4.7% of the popular vote respectively.
General elections were held in the Bahamas on 10 May 2017. The elected members of the House of Assembly then elected the Prime Minister.
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.
JoBeth Lillian Coleby-Davis is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician and attorney who has been the Bahamian Minister of Energy and Transport since 4 September 2023 and the Member of Parliament for Elizabeth since 16 September 2021. Coleby-Davis defeated the FNM incumbent Duane Sands in the 2021 general election. She previously served in the Senate from 2017 to 2021.
Edison McGinnis Key is a Bahamian politician and former Member of Parliament. He is best known for representing Central and South Abaco as a Member of Parliament. He served in various capacities during his 40-year political career, including two terms as a Senator and as chairman of the Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation (BaTelCo) and chair of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC).