GOVERNMENT
Bermuda is the oldest self-governing
overseas territory in the British Commonwealth and has a great
degree of internal autonomy. Its 1968 constitution provided the
island with formal responsibility for internal self-government,
while the British Government retained responsibility for external
affairs, defense, and security. The Bermudian Government is always
consulted on any international negotiations affecting the territory.
Bermuda participates, through British delegations, in the UN and
some of its specialized and related agencies.
Government Structure
Queen Elizabeth II is head of state and is represented in Bermuda
by a governor, whom she appoints. Internally, Bermuda has a parliamentary
system of government.
The premier is head of government
and leader of the majority party in the House of Assembly. The
cabinet is composed of 14 members selected by the premier from
among members of the House of Assembly and the Senate.
The 36-member House is elected from 36 electoral districts (one representative from each district) for a term not to exceed 5 years. The Senate, or reviewing house, serves concurrently with the House and has 11 members--five appointed by the governor in consultation with the premier, three by the opposition leader, and three at the governor's discretion.
The judiciary is composed
of a chief justice and associate judges appointed by the governor.
For administrative purposes, Bermuda is divided into nine parishes,
with Hamilton and St. George considered autonomous corporations.
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Bermuda's first political
party, the Progressive Labor Party (PLP), was formed in May 1963
with predominantly black adherents. In 1965, the two-party system
was launched with the formation of the United Bermuda Party (UBP),
which had the support of the majority of white voters and of some
blacks. A third party, the Bermuda Democratic Party (BDP), was
formed in the summer of 1967 with a splinter group from the PLP
as a nucleus; it disbanded in 1970. It was later replaced by the
National Liberal Party (NLP) which currently holds no parliamentary
seats.
Bermuda's first election held
on the basis of universal adult suffrage and equal voting took
place on May 22, 1968; previously, the franchise had been limited
to property owners. In the 1968 election, the UBP won 30 House
of Assembly seats, while the PLP won 10 and the BDP lost the three
seats it had previously held. The UBP continued to maintain control
of the government, although by decreasing margins in the Assembly,
until 1998 when the PLP won the general election for the first
time.
Unsatisfied aspirations, particularly among young blacks, led to a brief civil disturbance in December 1977, following the execution of two men found guilty of the 1972-73 assassinations of Governor Sir Richard Sharples and four others. In the 1980s, the increasing prosperity of Bermudians, combined with limited land area, caused a housing shortage. Despite a general strike in 1981 and economic downturn in the early 1980s, Bermuda's social, political, and economic institutions remained stable.
Both political parties have discussed the possibility of complete independence. An independence referendum called by a sharply divided UBP in the summer of 1995 was resoundingly defeated and resulted in the resignation of the premier and UBP leader, Sir John Swan. Just over 58% of the electorate voted in the independence referendum, which had to be postponed one day due to disruptions caused by Hurricane Felix. Of those voting, over 73% voted against independence, while only 25% voted in favor. Vote results may have been distorted by the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) call to boycott the referendum.
Eventual independence from the United Kingdom (U.K.) has been a goal of the PLP since the party's inception in 1963. In February 2004 then-Premier (and PLP party leader) Alex Scott announced his decision to commence an open and objective debate on the subject of independence. The government-appointed Bermuda Independence Commission held hearings island-wide where there was considerable focus on the mechanics of deciding independence, whether through an independence referendum, a general election, or some combination of the two. However, several recent polls indicated little support for independence. The international and local business communities continue to take a wait-and-see attitude.
Currently citizens of Britain's overseas territories, including Bermuda, are entitled to British citizenship. The British Overseas Territories Bill, passed in February 2002, provides automatic acquisition of British citizenship, including automatic transmission of citizenship to their children; the right of abode, including the right to live and work in the U.K. and the European Union (EU); the right not to exercise or to formally renounce British citizenship; and the right to use the fast track European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) channel at the airport, free of U.K. immigration controls. The U.K. Governor of Bermuda has said that citizens of an independent Bermuda would no longer be automatically entitled to British citizenship and the EU benefits that accrue to it.
There are no conditions attached to the grant of British citizenship to the overseas territories, a fact of particular importance to Bermuda where the issue of independence is being debated. A 1999 U.K. government White Paper states: "The new grant of British citizenship will not be a barrier, therefore, to those Overseas Territories choosing to become independent of Britain. Our Overseas Territories are British for as long as they wish to remain British. Britain has willingly granted independence where it has been requested; and we will continue to do so where this is an option."
Bermuda's most recent general election was held in July 2003, when the PLP was re-elected to its second term.
Principal
Government Officials
Head of State--Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II
Governor--His Excellency, Sir Richard Gozney
Premier--The Honorable Ewart Brown
Bermuda's
interests in the U.S. are represented by the United Kingdom, whose
embassy
is at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008; tel:
202-588-6500; fax: 202-588-7870.
Government Type: British
Overseas Territory with significant autonomy.
Constitution: June 8, 1968; amended 1989.
Branches: Executive--British monarch (head of state, represented
by a governor). Legislative--Senate (upper house), House of Assembly
(lower house). Judicial--Supreme Court.
Subdivisions: Nine parishes.
Political parties: United Bermuda Party (UBP), Progressive
Labor Party (PLP), National Liberal Party (NLP).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
