Bahamas Democratic Movement
Encyclopedia
The Bahamas Democratic Movement (BDM) was a liberal
populist
political party in the Bahamas without parliamentary representation.
, Bahamas and was officially launched in February 2000. The party's founders included: Cassius Stuart, Howard R. Johnson
, Dario Roberts, George Carey
and a number of then-students of the College of the Bahamas
. The party was formed due to a strongly held belief among the founding group that Caribbean
governments generally, and successive Bahamian governments specifically, failed to incorporate young persons (under the age of 30) in the decision-making processes of government at any level. This particular view stemmed from the fact that at that time over 60% of the country's population was under the age of 30 years. Stuart and his followers believed that it was incumbent upon the government to have young persons play a more significant role in the governance
of the country as opposed to merely "using them for their votes" in the period leading up to general elections. Immediately following victory at the polls however, Stuart and his followers contended that young persons were given no official governmental roles with any real political power
. The current leader
of the BDM is Cassius Stuart. Mr. Omar Smith serves as Deputy Leader
of the party.
(symbol of the House Speaker's authority) in protest against the "unfair gerrymandering
of the constituency boundaries by the FNM Administration". The Mace was unable to be separated from the men and thus, the Sitting had to be suspended. The pair was jailed for almost 2 days but no charges were brought against them. Ironically, the BDM's Mace Incident was strikingly similar to an event of important political significance in Bahamian history known as Black Tuesday. On that particular day, April 15, 1965, then-Opposition Leader
and former Prime Minister of the Bahamas
, Sir Lynden Pindling threw the Mace out of the House of Assembly window in protest against the unfair gerrymandering
of constituency boundaries of the then United Bahamian Party
(UBP) government.
Perry Christie
from accessing the House of Assembly. It was a dramatic end to a protest taking place in the immediate vicinity of the Parliament against the government’s move to bring a resolution
to Parliament giving a government Member of Parliament
more time to appeal a bankruptcy order against him. The BDM claimed that the government would be abusing its constitutional authority in passing the resolution
. This argument found its premise on a requirement of the Constitution of The Bahamas that any Member of Parliament who is declared bankrupt by the Courts must vacate his or her seat in the Parliament. Stuart and Smith were again arrested in the wake of the incident but the pair has yet to be charged before the Bahamian courts.
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
political party in the Bahamas without parliamentary representation.
Party formation
The party was formed in late 1998 in NassauNassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
, Bahamas and was officially launched in February 2000. The party's founders included: Cassius Stuart, Howard R. Johnson
Howard R. Johnson
Howard R. Johnson was the commander of the U.S. Army's 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment during the Second World War.- Early career :...
, Dario Roberts, George Carey
George Carey
George Leonard Carey, Baron Carey of Clifton PC, FKC is a former Archbishop of Canterbury, holding the office from 1991 to 2002. He was the first modern holder of the office not to have attended Oxford or Cambridge University...
and a number of then-students of the College of the Bahamas
College of the Bahamas
The College of The Bahamas is the national public institution of higher education in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas with campuses throughout the archipelago. The main campus is located in the capital city of Nassau, on the island of New Providence....
. The party was formed due to a strongly held belief among the founding group that Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
governments generally, and successive Bahamian governments specifically, failed to incorporate young persons (under the age of 30) in the decision-making processes of government at any level. This particular view stemmed from the fact that at that time over 60% of the country's population was under the age of 30 years. Stuart and his followers believed that it was incumbent upon the government to have young persons play a more significant role in the governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
of the country as opposed to merely "using them for their votes" in the period leading up to general elections. Immediately following victory at the polls however, Stuart and his followers contended that young persons were given no official governmental roles with any real political power
Political power
Political power is a type of power held by a group in a society which allows administration of some or all of public resources, including labour, and wealth. There are many ways to obtain possession of such power. At the nation-state level political legitimacy for political power is held by the...
. The current leader
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
of the BDM is Cassius Stuart. Mr. Omar Smith serves as Deputy Leader
Deputy Leader
A deputy leader in the Westminster system is the second-in-command of a political party, behind the party leader. Deputy leaders often become deputy prime minister when their parties are elected to government. In opposition, deputy leaders often lead Question Time sessions when the party leader is...
of the party.
Party split
Within a year of the party's formation, Johnson, Carey, Roberts and others left the BDM citing methodological differences with Stuart as the primary reason for their departure. Soon after their departure, Johnson, Carey, Roberts and others joined another political party the Coalition for Democratic Reform (CDR).The Mace incident
On Monday, December 3, 2001, Stuart and Smith dominated the national news when they intentionally disrupted the Sitting of the House of Assembly. Both men charged from the Public Gallery onto the House floor and handcuffed themselves to the MaceCeremonial mace
The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon...
(symbol of the House Speaker's authority) in protest against the "unfair gerrymandering
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
of the constituency boundaries by the FNM Administration". The Mace was unable to be separated from the men and thus, the Sitting had to be suspended. The pair was jailed for almost 2 days but no charges were brought against them. Ironically, the BDM's Mace Incident was strikingly similar to an event of important political significance in Bahamian history known as Black Tuesday. On that particular day, April 15, 1965, then-Opposition Leader
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
and former Prime Minister of the Bahamas
Prime Minister of the Bahamas
This is a list of Prime Ministers and other Heads of Government of the Bahamas.- Office of the Prime Minister :The Prime Minister of the Bahamas is the head of the government of the Bahamas. He is also the Minister of Finance and the Member of Parliament for New Providence and North Abaco...
, Sir Lynden Pindling threw the Mace out of the House of Assembly window in protest against the unfair gerrymandering
Gerrymandering
In the process of setting electoral districts, gerrymandering is a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected districts...
of constituency boundaries of the then United Bahamian Party
United Bahamian Party
The United Bahamian Party was a major political party in the Bahamas in the 1950s and 1960s. Representing the interests of the white oligarchy known as the Bay Street Boys, it was the ruling party between 1958 and 1967...
(UBP) government.
2002 General Elections
The BDM contested 12 of the 40 Parliamentary seats in the General Elections of 2002 winning no seats and less than 1% of the total votes cast. Despite its dismal performance at the polls, the BDM enjoys widespread admiration as well as criticism from the Bahamian public. Their support comes mainly from individuals under the age of 30. To date the BDM has been unable to effectively mobilize and organize the under 30 group to show up at the polls and support the party. Critics of the BDM charge that Stuart and Smith often engage in radical political action to 'grandstand' and claim that this behavior ultimately precludes the organization from fading into obscurity.Prime Minister blocked from entering Parliament
On March 24, 2005, Stuart and Smith again dominated the national news when they briefly prevented Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the Bahamas
This is a list of Prime Ministers and other Heads of Government of the Bahamas.- Office of the Prime Minister :The Prime Minister of the Bahamas is the head of the government of the Bahamas. He is also the Minister of Finance and the Member of Parliament for New Providence and North Abaco...
Perry Christie
Perry Christie
Perry Gladstone Christie is a Bahamian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of the Bahamas from 2002 to 2007...
from accessing the House of Assembly. It was a dramatic end to a protest taking place in the immediate vicinity of the Parliament against the government’s move to bring a resolution
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
to Parliament giving a government Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
more time to appeal a bankruptcy order against him. The BDM claimed that the government would be abusing its constitutional authority in passing the resolution
Resolution (law)
A resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body. The substance of the resolution can be anything that can normally be proposed as a motion. For long or important motions, though, it is often better to have them written out so that discussion is easier or so that it can be...
. This argument found its premise on a requirement of the Constitution of The Bahamas that any Member of Parliament who is declared bankrupt by the Courts must vacate his or her seat in the Parliament. Stuart and Smith were again arrested in the wake of the incident but the pair has yet to be charged before the Bahamian courts.