Government of Bermuda

Kimberley Durrant
Director of London Office
and UK Representative for the Government of Bermuda
www.bdalondonoffice.co.uk

The Government of Bermuda consists of a Governor, a Deputy Governor, a Cabinet, and a Legislature based on two legislative chambers – a Senate and a House of Assembly.

The Cabinet consists of the Premier and at least six other members of the Legislature. The Governor appoints the majority leader in the House of Assembly as Premier, who in turn nominates the other members of Cabinet. They are assigned responsibilities for Government Departments and other business. The Cabinet is responsible to the Legislature.

The largest minority party becomes the official opposition with its own leader and Shadow Cabinet.

The House of Assembly is comprised of 36 members elected by universal adult suffrage. It elects a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker and sits for a term of five years, unless dissolved earlier. Bermuda is divided into 36 constituencies, each represented by one member in the House. Under the Constitution, a Boundaries Commission is appointed every seven years to examine and, if necessary, to revise the boundaries of the constituencies.

The Senate is comprised of 11 members appointed by His Excellency the Governor. Five members of Senate are appointed on the recommendation of the Premier and represent the governing party. Three members are appointed on the recommendation of the Leader of the Opposition and represent the official opposition party. And the three remaining Senators are appointed as Independents. A President and a Vice-President are elected by the full Senate from among the Independent Senators.

Bermuda’s system of Government is based on the Westminster Model of parliamentary democracy. It is a system that relies heavily upon the existence of organized political parties, each laying policies before the electorate for approval. The party who wins the most seats at a general election, or who has the support of a majority of members in the House of Assembly, forms the Government.