Senate of the Bahamas
| Parliament of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas | |
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| 13th Bahamian Parliament | |
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Senate House of Assembly |
| History | |
| Founded | 29 September 1729 |
| Leadership | |
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Elizabeth II
Since 6 February 1952 |
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Dame Marguerite Pindling
Since 14 April 2010 |
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Sharon Wilson, PLP
Since 23 May 2012 |
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Dr Kendal Major, PLP
Since 23 May 2012 |
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| Structure | |
| Seats | 54 Parliamentarians |
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Senate's political groups
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House political groups
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| Elections | |
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Senate's voting system
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none |
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House voting system
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First Past the Post |
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Senate's last election
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The entirety of the Senate is appointed. It is formed based on the composition of the House of Assembly. |
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House last election
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7 May 2012 |
| Meeting place | |
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| Bahamian Parliament, Nassau, The Bahamas | |
The Parliament of The Bahamas is the bicameral national parliament of Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The parliament is formally made up by the Queen (represented by the Governor-General), an appointed Senate, and an elected House of Assembly. It currently sits at Nassau, the national capital.
The structure, functions, and procedures of the parliament are based on the Westminster system.
Originally inhabited by the Lucayans, a branch of the Arawakan-speaking Taino people, the Bahamas were the site of Columbus' first landfall in the New World in 1492. Although the Spanish never colonized the Bahamas, they shipped the native Lucayans to slavery in Hispaniola. The islands were mostly deserted from 1513 until 1648, when English colonists from Bermuda settled on the island of Eleuthera.
In 1670 King Charles II granted the islands to the Lords Proprietors of the Carolinas, who rented the islands from the king with rights of trading, tax, appointing governors, and administering the country. The Bahamas became a British crown colony in 1718, when the British clamped down on piracy.
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Wikipedia