Bahamas Politics Explained, Who Holds Power in 2026

BAHAMAS · POLITICS

Bahamas politics is a two-party Westminster system in which Prime Minister Philip Davis’s party holds 33 of 41 seats. This guide names who holds each office as of October 2026.

Bahamas politics is dominated by two parties, the governing Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the opposition Free National Movement (FNM). As of October 2026 the PLP holds 33 of 41 seats after its win on 12 May.

This guide names who holds each office, from the Governor-General to the head of the defence force, and how power is shared. It also lists what is not yet public.

Figures come from Bahamian government sources, the constitution and the State Department, with seat totals taken from local newspapers. The Bahamian dollar is fixed at one to the US dollar, which the open.er-api.com rate of 23 October 2026 confirms.

Daily news is in the Rio Times Bahamas section. Related guides cover Bahamas geopolitics and who runs the Bahamian economy.

Bahamas Politics in Brief

The Bahamas is a parliamentary monarchy that became independent from the United Kingdom in 1973. King Charles III is head of state, and the Governor-General represents him.

Dame Cynthia Pratt has been Governor-General since September 2023, and she was still in office on 19 October 2026. The Prime Minister’s office says she was the first woman to serve as Deputy Prime Minister and as National Security Minister.

The Governor-General dissolves Parliament on the Prime Minister’s advice under Article 66 of the constitution. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that commands a majority in the House of Assembly.

Parliament has two chambers, and the elected House of Assembly has 41 seats after the 12 May 2026 election. Two seats, St. James and Bimini and the Berry Islands, are new since 2021.

The PLP won both new seats, Business View Caribbean said. The Senate, the upper chamber, is appointed rather than elected.

The appointed Senate has 16 members: nine on the Prime Minister’s advice and four on the Opposition Leader’s advice. The Prime Minister names the last three after consulting the Opposition Leader, to keep the Senate balanced like the House.

A Parliament lasts five years from its first sitting unless it is dissolved sooner. Regional press said Davis moved the 2026 vote up from October, citing the Atlantic hurricane season.

How the 12 May 2026 Election Was Won

Davis announced on Wednesday, 1 April 2026 that he would ask for Parliament to be dissolved on Wednesday, 8 April. The Office of the Prime Minister cited Article 66(2) of the constitution.

Voters went to the polls on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, and the PLP won 33 of 41 seats, local newspaper tallies show. The PLP won 32 seats in 2021, when the House had 39, Business View Caribbean said.

The FNM won eight seats, one more than in 2021, flipping Freetown and MICAL but losing St Barnabas. Its leader, Michael Pintard, kept his Marco City seat and called Davis to concede.

A Nassau Guardian analysis put the PLP at 71,245 votes, about 51%, and the FNM at 48,863 votes, about 35%. It put the Coalition of Independents (COI) at 17,095 votes, about 12%, with no seats.

Former prime minister Hubert Minnis lost Killarney, a seat he had held for about two decades, while running as an independent. The FNM’s deputy leader, Shanendon Cartwright, and its chairman, Duane Sands, also lost.

Davis’s remarks on being sworn in as Prime Minister are dated Thursday, 14 May 2026. The government’s Throne Speech, published on 20 May, said it was the first consecutive term for any administration since 1997.

The Government and the Cabinet

The Cabinet Office order of 21 May 2026 lists 29 members: Davis and 28 ministers. The Tribune headlined it one of the largest Cabinets in Bahamian history.

Chester Cooper is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Science and Technology. Fred Mitchell is Foreign Minister, and Michael Halkitis is Finance Minister.

Glenys Hanna Martin is Minister of Tourism, and Dr Michael Darville runs Health and Wellness. Myles LaRoda is Minister of National Security and Leader of Government Business in the House.

Wayne Munroe, a King’s Counsel and senator, is Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs. Senator Jerome Fitzgerald is Minister of Economic Affairs, and Senator Barbara Cartwright runs Social Services.

Clay Sweeting oversees Works and Family Island Affairs, and Ginger Moxey is Minister for Grand Bahama. Jobeth Coleby-Davis holds Energy, Utilities and Aviation, and Mario Bowleg holds Youth and Sports.

Wayne Munroe moved from National Security to Attorney General, and Michael Halkitis was sworn in as Finance Minister, the Tribune said. Myles LaRoda now holds National Security, the post Munroe left.

The Throne Speech set the agenda, led by compulsory pre-primary school from age four and a National Digital ID. It also promised an Employment Bill 2026, an E-Verify portal for employers and a Backlog Reduction Court.

Agencies are to move onto the MyGateway portal within three years, and the Real Property Tax is to be reviewed. An Artificial Intelligence Governance Act and a National Cybersecurity Authority are also promised.

On 21 October 2026 Davis announced plans for one governance framework for all of Grand Bahama. He opened six months of public consultation on Freeport governance.

The Opposition and Parliament

The FNM is the main opposition party and governed until the 2021 election. Pintard leads it and, as Leader of the Opposition, was due to be sworn in on Monday, 18 May 2026.

On Wednesday, 13 May 2026 the FNM caucus, executive and Central Council unanimously endorsed Pintard to stay on, a Bahamian daily said. Former Deputy Prime Minister Desmond Bannister said on 14 May that he should resign.

The FNM Central Council deferred its convention to no later than October 2027, a local daily said. Pintard still led the party and the opposition in October 2026.

The COI is a newer force that won no seats but doubled its vote, from 8,388 in 2021 to 17,095 in 2026. The same analysis put turnout in the 60 percent range.

Patricia Deveaux is Speaker of the House of Assembly. Pintard said on 23 June 2026 he had asked twice for Public Accounts Committee hearings to be televised, without reply.

The committee is examining 700 million Bahamian dollars (about US$700 million) of borrowing the government says went into the National Investment Fund. Finance Minister Halkitis said on 29 May 2026 that the government acted lawfully.

Pintard has said he sees no evidence that the full US$700 million reached the fund, and he wants the transaction documents. The Tribune reported on 14 October 2026 that the committee still awaited Finance Ministry documents and had made no final findings.

Rio Times explainers on the National Investment Fund and the probe next steps give more background. Both are Rio Times pieces, so they are context, not sources for the figures.

Security Forces, Courts and Watchdogs

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force is the country’s military, and its stated mission is to defend the sovereignty of the Bahamas. Commodore Floyd Moxey commands it, and he was named in late April 2025 to succeed Commodore Raymond King.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force is led by Commissioner Shanta Knowles, appointed on 3 January 2025, its website says. No report of a successor was found, and no October 2026 statement from her was confirmed.

Myles LaRoda oversees both forces as Minister of National Security. Wayne Munroe held that job in 2025, the Tribune said.

The US Coast Guard helps Bahamian authorities with coastal defence through Operation OPBAT, a joint counter-drug effort. The US Navy operates an underwater research facility on Andros Island, the State Department says.

In late September 2026 Bahamas Ambassador to the US Wendall Jones accused DEA agents of operating without government consent. Attorney General Munroe echoed the complaint, the Caribbean National Weekly reported on 1 October 2026.

US Ambassador Herschel Walker dismissed the claim of illegal operations as “fake news”. Davis told reporters the issue is process, adding “it’s not about targeting criminals at all”.

Sir Ian Winder is Chief Justice, and he gave the opening of the legal year speech in January 2026. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London remains the final court of appeal, the State Department says.

The Court Services Act, in force since July 2024, gave the judiciary more administrative and financial independence. The legal system follows English common law, the State Department’s 2026 investment report says.

The same report says watchdogs are still taking shape. The Independent Commission of Investigations bill passed in 2025 is not expected to be operational for several years.

The Freedom of Information Act of 2017 is only partly in force, and the Public Disclosure Commission has not published asset declarations. An Integrity Commission, campaign finance reform and a working Ombudsman are pending.

The report adds that the Bahamas has no history of politically motivated violence. It says minor incidents, such as damaged billboards, can occur before general elections.

What It Means for US Readers

Tourism and financial services make up about 85% of the Bahamian economy, the State Department says. More than 12.5 million visitors came in 2025.

A large single-party majority points to steady policy on visitors, taxes and investment through the term. Voters can still change that at the next election, due by about 2031.

A 12.5% US tariff on Bahamian goods took effect on Friday, 24 July 2026, up from 10%, the Tribune reported. It follows a Section 301 finding, and Nassau has sought an exemption for crawfish and stone crab exports.

US trade with the Bahamas is worth about US$7.3 billion a year, with a US$3.8 billion US surplus, the State Department says. The Bahamian dollar is fixed at one to the US dollar, so prices carry no exchange risk.

Davis said Nassau wants US officials to notify it about operations in the country. Drug enforcement on Bahamian soil still depends on Bahamian consent and law.

Travellers should check the State Department’s current advisory for the Bahamas before booking. Business visitors can follow the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into the National Investment Fund.

What Is Not Known

Official seat and vote totals were not found on a government site, so the seat counts rely on local newspaper tallies. Turnout and the number of registered voters were not confirmed.

Cabinet portfolios follow the 18 May 2026 announcement and the 21 May order of precedence. A 3 June 2026 gazette notice on the allocation of portfolios was not read, so some ministry names may have changed.

The result of the FNM’s post-election review and the future of Pintard as leader were not found. The party convention is due only by October 2027.

Whether the National Investment Fund transfer broke any rule is unknown, because the committee has made no final findings. The government says it acted lawfully.

The outcome of the drug-agent dispute is unknown. No report of a settlement was found, nor of any US reply beyond Ambassador Walker’s remarks.

The full list of senators, the Senate President and any October 2026 public statement by Commissioner Knowles were not verified. The next general election date is not set, and it is due by about 2031 unless Davis calls it earlier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the prime minister of the Bahamas in 2026?

Philip Davis, leader of the Progressive Liberal Party, is Prime Minister. He won a second term in the election of 12 May 2026.

Who is the head of state of the Bahamas?

King Charles III is head of state. Dame Cynthia Pratt is his representative as Governor-General.

What are the main political parties in the Bahamas?

The Progressive Liberal Party governs with 33 of 41 seats. The Free National Movement is the opposition with eight, and the Coalition of Independents won no seats.

How is the Bahamian Parliament organised?

The House of Assembly has 41 elected members, and the Senate has 16 appointed members. The Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader and the Governor-General share the Senate appointments.

When is the next Bahamas general election?

A Parliament lasts five years from its first sitting, so the vote is due around 2031. The Prime Minister can ask for an earlier dissolution.

Who controls the police and military in the Bahamas?

Minister of National Security Myles LaRoda oversees both. Commissioner Shanta Knowles leads the police, and Commodore Floyd Moxey leads the defence force.

Sources: Office of the Prime Minister, Cabinet announcement; Cabinet Office order of precedence; Throne Speech 2026; Office of the Prime Minister, dissolution notice; Governor-General statement; Bahamas government news; Royal Bahamas Defence Force; Bahamas courts; Constitution of the Bahamas; US State Department investment report; US State Department, relations with the Bahamas; Office of the Prime Minister, Grand Bahama statement; Royal Bahamas Police Force; The Tribune, defence force command; The Tribune, Cabinet; The Tribune, tariff; The Tribune, tariff talks; The Tribune, Public Accounts Committee; Caribbean National Weekly; The Tribune; The Nassau Guardian; Business View Caribbean (all accessed 23 October 2026).