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Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Coat of Arms of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg
Coat of arms of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Terrance Drew 2022.jpg
Incumbent
Terrance Drew

since 6 August 2022
Style Mr Prime Minister
(informal)
The Honourable
(informal)
The Right Honourable
(within the Commonwealth)
His Excellency
(diplomatic)
Appointer Governor-General
Term length No term limit
Formation 19 September 1983; 41 years ago (1983-09-19)
First holder Kennedy Simmonds
Deputy Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Salary EC$137,280/US$ 50,844 annually


The Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis is the main leader of the government for the country, which is also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis. This important role is like being the chief executive, guiding the nation's policies and decisions. The current Prime Minister is Terrance Drew, who took office on 6 August 2022.

How the Prime Minister is Chosen

The job of Prime Minister is set up by section 52 of the constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis. This part of the constitution explains how the leader is chosen.

The Governor-General's Role

The Governor-General is a representative of the King or Queen. They must choose a person from the National Assembly. This person needs to have the support of most of the other representatives. This means they are the leader of the political party that won the most seats in the election.

What Happens if There's No Confidence?

Sometimes, the National Assembly might vote that they no longer trust the Prime Minister. This is called a "no-confidence motion." If this vote passes, the Prime Minister has a few choices. They must either resign within three days or ask the Governor-General to call a new general election. If the Prime Minister does not do one of these things, the Governor-General can remove them from office. The Prime Minister also loses their job if they are no longer a member of the National Assembly.

Past Leaders: Chief Ministers (1960–1967)

Before Saint Kitts and Nevis became fully independent, its top leaders were called Chief Ministers. This was during the time when Elizabeth II was the Queen.

Portrait Name Took office Left office Political party Election
1
Paul Southwell
Paul Southwell
(1913–1979)
1 January 1960 July 1966 6 years, 6 months SKNLP 1961
2
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw
(1916–1978)
July 1966 27 February 1967 7 months SKNLP 1966

Past Leaders: Premiers (1967–1983)

After the Chief Ministers, the leaders were called Premiers. This period also took place under Queen Elizabeth II.

Portrait Name Took office Left office Political party Election
1
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw
(1916–1978)
27 February 1967 23 May 1978 † 11 years, 85 days SKNLP 1971
1975
2
Paul Southwell
Paul Southwell
(1913–1979)
23 May 1978 18 May 1979 † 360 days SKNLP
3
Lee Moore
Lee Moore
(1939–2000)
20 May 1979 21 February 1980 277 days SKNLP
4
Kennedy Simmonds
Kennedy Simmonds
(born 1936)
21 February 1980 19 September 1983 3 years, 210 days PAM 1980

Prime Ministers (1983–Present)

Saint Kitts and Nevis became a fully independent country in 1983. From that point on, the head of government has been called the Prime Minister.

Prime Ministers Under Queen Elizabeth II (1983–2022)

Portrait Name Took office Left office Political party Election
1
Kennedy Simmonds
Kennedy Simmonds
(born 1936)
19 September 1983 7 July 1995 11 years, 291 days PAM 1984
1989
1993
2
Denzil Douglas
Denzil Douglas
(born 1953)
7 July 1995 18 February 2015 19 years, 226 days SKNLP 1995
2000
2004
2010
3
Timothy Harris
Timothy Harris
(born 1964)
18 February 2015 6 August 2022 7 years, 169 days PLP 2015
2020
4
Terrance Drew
Terrance Drew
(born 1976)
6 August 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 354 days SKNLP 2022

Prime Ministers Under King Charles III (2022–Present)

After the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, King Charles III became the new monarch. The Prime Minister continues to serve under the new King.

Portrait Name Took office Left office Political party Election
4
Terrance Drew
Terrance Drew
(born 1976)
6 August 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 354 days SKNLP 2022

Timeline of Prime Ministers

This timeline shows how long each Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis has lived and served in office. It helps us see their time as leaders.

Terrance Drew Timothy Harris Denzil Douglas Kennedy Simmonds Lee Moore (politician) Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw Paul Southwell

Related Topics

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Primer ministro de San Cristóbal y Nieves para niños

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