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.
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.
Sir Henry Milton Taylor was the fourth governor-general of the Bahamas,serving from February 28,1991 to January 2,1992.
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.
Pleasant M. M. Bridgewater was a 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 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 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.
Cyril St. John Stevenson was a Bahamian politician and newspaper publisher.
Sir Randol Francis Fawkes was a Bahamian politician,trade unionist and lawyer.
Glenys Margaret Elaine Hanna-Martin is a Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party politician and lawyer serving as Minister of Education since 2021. She has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Englerston since 2002,making her the country's longest serving female parliamentarian.
Dame Doris Sands Johnson was a Bahamian teacher,suffragette,and politician. She was the first Bahamian woman to contest an election in the Bahamas,the first female Senate appointee,and the first woman granted a leadership role in the Senate. Once in the legislature,she was the first woman to be made a government minister and then was elected as the first woman President of the Senate. She was the first woman to serve as Acting Governor General of the Bahamas,and was honored as Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.
General elections were held in the Bahamas on 10 May 2017. The elected members of the House of Assembly then elected the Prime Minister.
Arinthia Santina Komolafe is a Bahamian politician who was elected the Leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA),one of the three main political parties in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,on 24 October 2017. She succeeded Christopher Mortimer,who was appointed as Interim Leader of the DNA on 24 October 2017. Mortimer was appointed Interim Leader following the DNA's defeat in The Bahamas' General Elections on 10 May 2017,when the Party failed to win a parliamentary seat out of the 39 possible parliamentary seats in the House of Assembly. Founder and inaugural leader of the DNA,Branville McCartney announced his intention to resign from the Party and front-line politics following the defeat. Komolafe is the first female leader of the DNA political party and other females such as Cynthia Pratt,former Deputy Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and Loretta Butler-Turner,former Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement.
General elections were held in the Bahamas on 16 September 2021 to elect all 38 members of the House of Assembly.
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).
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.
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.
Julie Lashell Adderley is a Bahamian lawyer and politician who has been President of the Senate of the Bahamas since 7 October 2021.
