• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Turks & Caicos - Government

The Governor represents the Queen of England and until 2009 presided over the Executive Council, which consisted mainly of a unicameral Legislative Council of Ministers, a Deputy Governor, and an Attorney General. The Premier (political/ elected), appointed by the Governor, was the head of government. This was part of a Ministerial System of Government with democratically elected representatives, according to Westminster principles and consisting of elected and nominated members who sat on the Legislative Council.

Government ministries were directed by a Minister (political) and a Permanent Secretary (administrative). However, in 2009 the Constitution was temporarily suspended and replaced by direct rule from the United Kingdom. A United Kingdom-administered caretaker/interim administration headed by the Governor was put in place to implement various reforms and achieve specific milestones.

This was a prerequisite for general elections to be held in order to return the territory to a governmental structure with the Premier as the Head. During this interim period, Permanent Secretaries continued to perform administrative functions in the various ministries. Other quasigovernmental institutions, often managed through an executive management team led by a general manager or director, remained in existence but also had been undergoing reform after 2009.

The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011 provides for an elected Government comprising of a Ministerial Cabinet and an elected House of Assembly. The Governor is appointed by the Queen to be her representative and to carry out key duties to support the people of the Islands such as chairing Cabinet and ensuring the good govenrance of the Territory. The Constitution also reserved to the Governor responsibility for defence, external affairs, the regulation of international financial services; and internal security, including the police force. The Queen also has the power to legislate for the Islands by Order in Council and to instruct the Governor through the British Government’s Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs.

The House of Assembly is located in the Hon NJS Francis Building on Grand Turk which also houses of Offices of the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition. There are 19 seats in the TCI House of Assembly, 15 of these are filled by candidates who are directly elected. One member is nominated by the Premier and appointed by The Governor. One additional member is nominated by the Leader of the Official Opposition and appointed by The Governor. Two members from TCI Civic Society are appointed directly by The Governor.

The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands voted 15 December 2016, to elect a new government. The House of Assembly has 19 members; 13 members elected for a four-year term in single seat constituencies, three members ex officio and three appointed members.

The 7,800 voters had three choices: the ruling Progressive National Party (PNP); the People`s Democratic Movement (PDM) and the recently formed People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) led by former Chief Ministe Oswald Skippings. Cartwright Robinson led a team called “The Dream Team” to the election and had accused the Ewing-led government of having led the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) into an abyss for which the citizens are suffering.

The main opposition People`s Democratic Movement (PDM) won the 14 December 2016 general election, according to the preliminary results released here. The PDM led by attorney Sharlene Cartwright Robinson had won seven of the 10 constituencies and was leading in three of the five at large candidate positions. Former premier, Michael Misick, who was before the courts on allegations of corruption, was rejected as a candidate at large by the electorate.

Dr. Rufus Ewing, former Premier of this British Overseas Dependent territory, has resigned as leader of the Progressive National Party (PNP), following the loss of his own parliamentary seat and the party’s crushing defeat in the recent general election. “The people of the Turks and Caicos Islands have spoken and have indicated their wish for a change in governance,” Ewing said.