A visitor to the site asks: Does The Bahamas have Democratic and Republican parties as in the United States?
The short answer is no. Our system is based on the British Parliamentary Democracy system with political parties, but that's where similarities end.
Encyclopaedia Britannica explains it this way:
Parliamentary Democracy, democratic form of government in which the party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the parliament (legislature) forms the government, its leader becoming prime minister or chancellor. Executive functions are exercised by members of the parliament appointed by the prime minister to the cabinet. The parties in the minority serve in opposition to the majority and have the duty to challenge it regularly. The prime minister may be removed from power whenever he loses the confidence of a majority of the ruling party or of the parliament. Parliamentary democracy originated in Britain and was adopted in several of its former colonies.
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I beg to differ. The short answer is ‘Yes’ we do.
However, like most things (customs, practices, etc) we have ‘imported’ or imitated, we have managed to ‘balls’ this one up, too.
In The Bahamas, the two main political parties, the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the Free National Movement (FNM) generally resemble and algin with the ‘Liberal’ and ‘Conservative’ traditions, respectively. The PLP’s choice of colour is ‘gold’ (like the Liberal Democrats in the UK) but the FNM wears read (unlike the Tories in the UK but like the Republicans/Conservatives in the US).
Often, however, their choice of policies can be confusing. For example, the welfare fund is generally a liberal/leftist policy but was introduced by the FNM. On the other hand, the PLP routinely produces liberal (though not economically liberal) polices … Confusing? Well, it is and should be.
Thanks S3S,
There are stark differences between what the Democrats and Republicans say they are, and the policies they claim to pursue.
Those differences do not exist to any great degree between the PLP and the FNM.
So yes, it is confusing.
The problem with all politics as I see it today, is it has become a personality game, we create “false idols” these days.
Similar in that they are all adapting larger degrees of Tribalism, or rule by personality.
In part a popularity contest, with the mob cheering on quite a few less admirable character traits, with no regard for capability or ethics.
In this regard,
pick your poison.
We should all just go libertarian & get rid of big government altogether,all others suck .
Both of the two principle political parties in the Bahamas are just one and the same.. (1) Both parties utilize BIG government solutions for just about everything.. What we really need is just the opposite, a political party that advocates smaller government and a more efficient bureaucracy.. (2) Both parties have no financial prudence as both are deficit spending our nation into insolvency.. The bigger the bureaucracy, the bigger our national debt.. (3) Both parties have similar fiscal policies of continuing to raise taxes at the expense of the general public who must pay this burden along with the private sector.. Has any of our political parties ever advocated the cutting of taxes to stimulate consumption and growth?? I think not.. (4) Both parties continue to introduce crippling regulations which discourage investment and employment.. So many world-class companies have left our shores as excessive taxes and regulations have forced them to go elsewhere.. (5) Finally neither political party will address the national crisis of law and order and the introduction of basic judicial reform..
So the reality is more than obvious, that our elections are just democratic popularity contests were the spoils of office goes to the winner.. Most Bahamians really don’t care about deficits, fiscal prudence, excessive regulations and legal reform.. There only meaningful concern is what can I get for myself out of the political process and to hell with public policies and everything else..