Prime Minister of the Bahamas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas |
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Flag of the prime minister
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Seal of the prime minister of the Bahamas
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| Government Cabinet |
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| Style | The Most Honourable |
| Abbreviation | PM |
| Seat | Nassau |
| Appointer | Governor-General |
| Term length | At the governor-general's pleasure (normally 5 years) |
| Precursor | Premier of the Bahamas Islands |
| Inaugural holder | Sir Lynden Pindling |
| Formation | 10 May 1969 |
| Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas |
| Salary | 86,000 BSD annually |
| Website | bahamas.gov.bs |
The prime minister of the Bahamas is the main leader of the government in the Bahamas. Think of them as the head of the team that runs the country. The Governor-General officially chooses the prime minister. The Governor-General represents Charles III, who is the King of the Bahamas and the country's head of state (the official leader).
This article shares a list of all the prime ministers of the Bahamas. It starts from 1955, when the position was called "chief minister," and goes all the way to today.
Contents
How a Prime Minister Is Chosen
Under the rules of the Constitution of the Bahamas, the Governor-General must pick someone to be prime minister. This person must be a member of the House of Assembly. They also need to be the leader of the political party that has the most support from other members in that House.
If no single party has a clear majority, the Governor-General will choose the person who seems most likely to get enough support from the other members.
The Prime Minister's Promise
When someone becomes Prime Minister, they make an important promise. They swear to always give their best advice to the Governor-General. This advice is for the good management of the Bahamas. They also promise to keep Cabinet meetings and discussions private. This helps the government work smoothly.
What the Prime Minister Does
The prime minister of the Bahamas leads the country's government. Their job involves many important tasks, like:
- Leading the main Office of the Prime Minister.
- Overseeing departments that manage land and surveys.
- Managing government printing services.
- Directing the Department of Statistics, which collects important data.
- Guiding Bahamas Information Services, which shares news about the government.
- Leading the National Economic Council to help the country's economy.
- Encouraging and making it easier for people to invest in the Bahamas.
- Helping develop the Family Islands, which are smaller islands in the Bahamas.
Several government groups also work under the prime minister's guidance. These include:
- The Department of Lands and Surveys, which handles land matters.
- Groups that manage local government.
- Organizations that work with local improvement groups.
Leaders of the Bahamas (1955–Present)
Here's a look at the different leaders of the Bahamas over the years.
- Political Parties
United Bahamian Party (UBP) Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Free National Movement (FNM)
Chief Ministers of the Bahamas Islands (1955–1964)
| No. | Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Election | Time in Office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started | Ended | Length of Time | |||||
| 1 | .svg) |
Sir Roland Symonette (1898–1980) |
1962 | 1955 | 7 January 1964 | 9 years | UBP |
Premiers of the Bahamas Islands (1964–1969)
| No. | Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Election | Time in Office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started | Ended | Length of Time | |||||
| (1) | .svg) |
Sir Roland Symonette (1898–1980) |
— | 7 January 1964 | 16 January 1967 | 3 years, 9 days | UBP |
| 2 |  |
Lynden Pindling (1930–2000) |
1967 1968 |
16 January 1967 | 10 May 1969 | 2 years, 114 days | PLP |
Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas Islands (1969–1973)
| No. | Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Election | Time in Office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started | Ended | Length of Time | |||||
| 1 | |
Lynden Pindling (1930–1992) |
1972 | 10 May 1969 | 10 July 1973 | 4 years, 61 days | PLP |
Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas (1973–Present)
| No. | Portrait | Name (Born–Died) |
Election | Time in Office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Started | Ended | Length of Time | |||||
| 1 | |
Lynden Pindling (1930–2000) |
1977 1982 1987 |
10 July 1973 | 21 August 1992 | 19 years, 42 days | PLP |
| 2 |  |
Hubert Ingraham (born 1947) |
1992 1997 |
21 August 1992 | 3 May 2002 | 9 years, 255 days | FNM |
| 3 | .jpg) |
Perry Christie (born 1943) |
2002 | 3 May 2002 | 4 May 2007 | 5 years, 1 day | PLP |
| (2) | |
Hubert Ingraham (born 1947) |
2007 | 4 May 2007 | 8 May 2012 | 5 years, 4 days | FNM |
| (3) | |
Perry Christie (born 1943) |
2012 | 8 May 2012 | 11 May 2017 | 5 years, 3 days | PLP |
| 4 |  |
Hubert Minnis (born 1954) |
2017 | 11 May 2017 | 17 September 2021 | 4 years, 128 days | FNM |
| 5 |  |
Philip Davis (born 1951) |
2021 | 17 September 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 319 days | PLP |
Timeline of Prime Ministers
This chart shows how long each prime minister of the Bahamas lived and when they were in office. They are listed by when they first became prime minister.
Deputy Prime Ministers
The role of Deputy Prime Minister was officially created on February 20, 1968. This person helps the Prime Minister and can step in if needed.
- Arthur Dion "A.D" Hanna (1968–1984)
- Clement T. Maynard (1985–1992)
- Orville Turnquest (1992–1995)
- Frank Watson (1995–2002)
- Cynthia A. Pratt (2002–2007)
- Brent Symonette (2007–2012)
- Philip Davis (2012–2017)
- Peter Turnquest (2017–2020)
- Desmond Bannister (2020–2021)
- Chester Cooper (2021–present)
More to Explore
- List of governors of the Bahamas
- Governor-General of the Bahamas
- List of heads of state of the Bahamas
- List of Commonwealth heads of government
See also
In Spanish: Primer ministro de las Bahamas para niños
