"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."
- John Quincy Adams
The Bahamas Constitution clearly defines our Parliament as comprised of "Her Majesty (who is represented by the governor general), a Senate and a House of Assembly". Senators are appointed by a formula that is specifically provided for in the Constitution. Members of the House of Assembly are elected by polling the most votes in their constituencies, normally for a five-year term in office.
Although we are often inundated by the activities and pronouncements of Senators and members of Parliament, the significance or role of the governor general in the context of our governance is really not widely understood.
Therefore, this week, we would like to Consider this... what is the role of the governor general and what qualities should we expect to find in the holder of that high office?
The historical development
The term "governor general" originated in those British colonies that obtained their political independence from Great Britain. Before World War I, the title was used only in federated colonies in which each of the previously constituent colonies already had a governor, namely Canada, Australia, and the Union of South Africa.
Since the 1950s, the title of governor general has been vested in representatives of the sovereign in independent commonwealth countries. In these cases, the former office of colonial governor transitioned to become the office of the governor general upon independence, becoming an entirely independent constitutional representative of the monarch rather than a symbol of previous colonial rule. In those countries, the governor general acts as the monarch's representative, performing the ceremonial and constitutional functions of a head of state.
What our Constitution says
Although The Bahamas has had a governor appointed by the Crown since Captain Woodes Rogers took the post in the early 1700s, chapter four of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas provides for the establishment of the Office of the Governor General. In the very first provision of that chapter, Article 32 of our Constitution states that: "There shall be a Governor General of The Bahamas who shall be appointed by Her Majesty and shall hold office during Her Majesty's pleasure and who shall be Her Majesty's representative in The Bahamas."
The Queen or sovereign is the head of state of The Bahamas. The governor general represents the sovereign, and most of the powers and authority of the sovereign have been delegated to the governor general.
Although the role is mostly symbolic and ceremonial, as a constitutionally-defined part of Parliament, the governor general alone is constitutionally mandated to summon Parliament. Beyond that, the other conventional parliamentary duties performed by the governor general in the sovereign's absence include reading the speech from the throne and others as listed in our Constitution, including:
o Appointing Supreme and Appeal Court judges on the advice of the Cabinet.
o Summoning, closing and dissolving Parliament, on the advice of the prime minister.
o Inviting the leader of the political party with the most support in the House of Assembly to form the government. That party's leader becomes prime minister.
o Inviting the leader of the political party with the second highest support in the House of Assembly to become the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
o Signing legislation in order to bring it into force.
o In times of emergency or special circumstances, exercising the special personal authority of the governor general to appoint or dismiss a prime minister or dissolve Parliament, although this authority is rarely used.
o Receiving and dispatching ambassadors.
The ideal qualities of a governor general
The governor general is usually a person with a distinguished record of public service, often a retired politician, although some countries have also appointed prominent judges, military commanders, academics, philanthropists, or figures from the news media to the office.
So what qualities then should Bahamians expect their governors general to exemplify? First and foremost, it is fundamental that the person who holds that office be a nationally unifying force, an individual who does not represent any single constituency or interest group. Given the profound partisan divisions that presently permeate so many facets of Bahamian life, the governor general must not possess a politically polarizing or partisan persona, or a propensity to alienate large numbers of our citizens.
Secondly, it is only fitting that, given our relative youth as a nation, we should choose our governor general from among those individuals who have attained the status of "father of the nation" or "hero of the revolution". These individuals, besides possessing a unique historical perspective on our nation, should also have what is arguably the most extensive experience of The Bahamas and its pre- and post-colonial history. This wealth of information, virtually impossible to pass on to anyone, equips such individuals with the depth and breadth of knowledge necessary to deal with any eventuality that may present itself to a governor general.
The ideal candidate for governor general should be a nationalist, whose credentials are unquestionable and unassailable. The ideal governor general should have an innate sense of Bahamian history and culture, someone who is informed on a wide range of issues that face the nation and who can articulate the aspirations and hopes of a people without reference to political bias.
The ideal governor general should reflect the fiscal realities of our time. Particularly in this time of our national development, those who hold this office should be guided by fiscal austerity and not prone to a lavish or ostentatious display in the execution of the office. The ideal governor general should be abstemious in dispensing his office and eschew overly excessive public expenditure.
Most importantly, we should reverse the recent perverse practice of prime ministers replacing governors general simply because of changes in government. This practice, started in the early 1990s with the election of Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham and adopted by Prime Minister Perry Christie, fosters the popular perspective that a governor general should be changed each time that we change governments.
Apart from the unnecessary fiscal drain that this practice places on the public purse with the pension and other benefits afforded former governors general, it offends the principle that a governor general should rise above partisan politics. This practice also inculcates in the public psyche the erroneous ethos that the person serving in that office should mirror the political party that is in office. This fallacy must not only be resisted; it must be rectified. Lest we forget, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who is the Head of State of Great Britain, has served in that capacity since 1953, 61 years in total, and during her reign has presided over 14 prime ministers from diverse parties.
Conclusion
Next week, we will examine the rationale used for choosing those persons who have served as Bahamian governors general since our independence in 1973 and the tenure of governors general in the major English-speaking Caribbean countries in order to better formulate a portrait of the kind of individual who can not only fulfill their duties well, but also with the kind of Bahamian flair, elegance and aplomb that does our 21st Century nation proud.
o Philip C. Galanis is the managing partner of HLB Galanis & Co., Chartered Accountants, Forensic & Litigation Support Services. He served 15 years in Parliament. Please send your comments to pgalanis@gmail.com.
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