Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands
| Governor of The Turks and Caicos Islands | |
|---|---|
|
Flag of the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands | |
| Viceroy | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Appointer |
Elizabeth II as Queen of the United Kingdom |
| Term length | At Her Majesty's pleasure |
| Formation | 1973 |
| First holder | Alexander Graham Mitchell |
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the Turks and Caicos Islands |
The Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of Turks and Caicos Islands. The Governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the Governor is to act as the head of state, and he or she is responsible for appointing the Premier and 5 members of the House of Assembly. The official residence of the Governor is Government House of Turks and Caicos Islands, Waterloo, Grand Turk.
In August 2009, the United Kingdom suspended the Turks and Caicos' self-government after allegations of ministerial corruption. The prerogative of the ministerial government and the House of Assembly are vested in the islands' governor for a period of up to two years, with possible extensions.[1]
The Governor has his own flag in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Union Flag with the territory's coat of arms superimposed.[2]
History
The islands were a dependency of Jamaica until that colony received independence in 1962. Afterwards the governor of the Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973.
A list of office holders since 1973:
- Alexander Graham Mitchell (1973–1975)
- Arthur Christopher Watson (1975–1978)
- John Clifford Strong (1978–1982)
- Christopher J. Turner (1982–1987)
- Michael J. Bradley (1987–1993)
- Martin Bourke (1993–1996)
- John Kelly (1996–2000)
- Mervyn Jones (2000–2002)
- Cynthia Astwood (2002; acting)
- Jim Poston (2002–2005)
- Mahala Wynns (2005; acting)
- Richard Tauwhare (2005–2008)
- Mahala Wynns (2008 – 5 August 2008; acting)
- Gordon Wetherell (5 August 2008 – 22 August 2011)
- Martin Stanley (22 August – 12 September 2011; acting)
- Ric Todd (12 September 2011 – 15 September 2013)
- Anya Williams (15 September – 9 October 2013; acting)
- Peter Beckingham (9 October 2013 – 10 October 2016)
- John Freeman (17 October 2016 – present)
References
- ↑ "Britain suspends Turks and Caicos government". Retrieved 14 August 2009.
- ↑ Grieve, Martin (26 June 2004). "Turks and Caicos: Governor's Flag". Flags of the World. Retrieved 5 August 2008.
Governor's flag since 1999. Album depicts this and shows the shield's points touching the garaland and blue ribbon.
