The FNM Leaders
The Rt. Hon. Hubert Alexander Ingraham, was re-elected Parliamentary Representative for North Abaco, in the General Election of 2 May, 2007 and took the oath of office becoming Prime Minister of The Bahamas for a third time on Friday 4 May, 2007.
Mr. Ingraham previously served of Prime Minister of The Bahamas for two consecutive terms between 1992 and 2002 when he voluntarily chose not to seek re-election to Leadership of his Party, the Free National Movement.
In the historic election of August 1992 when the FNM unseated the Progressive Liberal Party, Mr. Ingraham succeeded the late Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling, who had headed the PLP government since January 1967.
Mr. Ingraham was born at Pine Ridge, Grand Bahama, on 4 August 1947, the son of Isabella Laroda (nee Cornish) and Jerome Ingraham.
He grew up at Cooper's Town on the island of Abaco, and began his education at Cooper's Town Public School, later attending the Southern Senior School and the Government High School Evening Institute in Nassau.
Mr. Ingraham studied law in Nassau, was called to The Bahamas Bar in December 1972, and eventually became senior partner in the law firm of Christie, Ingraham and Co.
He entered front-line politics in 1975, when he was elected to the National General Council of the then ruling Progressive Liberal Party. He had previously served as a member of the Air Transport Licensing Authority and Chairman of the Real Property Tax Tribunal.
In 1976, Mr. Ingraham was elected National Chairman of the PLP and a member of that party's National Executive Committee. In 1977, still Chairman of the PLP, he was elected to the House of Assembly.
In Parliament, Mr. Ingraham served as a member of the Standing Committee on Privilege and Public Accounts, and as Chairman of an investigative Select Committee on Influence Peddling and Political Contributions.
He was re-elected to Parliament in the general election of June 1982, and appointed Minister of Housing, National Insurance and Social Service. In 1982, he also became Chairman of The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation, an institution established to secure and guarantee housing financing for Bahamians in need of that service.
In 1984, in the midst of a Commission of Inquiry into illegal drug-trafficking and trans-shipment through The Bahamas and the attendant disclosures of corruption inside the government and the civil service, Mr. Ingraham, as a result of his protests against that situation, was dismissed from The Bahamas Cabinet.
He continued to speak out on the issue of corruption and other unsavoury practices, and was expelled from the governing party in October 1986. Mr. Ingraham offered as an independent candidate in the 1987 general election, and was one of only two Members of Parliament to have been expelled from the ruling PLP to have gone on to immediate independent re-election.
Mr. Ingraham joined the Official Opposition in April 1990, and was immediately appointed Parliamentary Leader. When the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Cecil Wallace-Whitfield, died in May 1990, Mr. Ingraham was unanimously elected Leader of the Free National Movement and was appointed Leader of the Official Opposition on 18 May 1990, by the Governor-General.
In June 1990, as freshman Leader of The Free National Movement, he led his party to a Marco City, Grand Bahama by-election victory over the governing party.
On 19 August 1992, Mr. Ingraham led the Free National Movement to a stunning 32-17 victory over the Progressive liberal Party and ended the 25- year hold on power of former Prime Minister Sir Lynden Pindling.
The new Prime Minister assumed Cabinet responsibility for the Ministry of Finance. Later, in a streamlined Cabinet, he took on responsibility for trade and industry, and quickly established a one-stop Investment Authority promoted fresh investment in The Bahamas.
In July 1993, Prime Minister Ingraham was made a Member of Her Majesty's most honourable Privy Council. Again on 14 March 1997, Mr. Ingraham led the FNM to an even greater election victory.
Mr. Ingraham's having pledged earlier that he would serve no longer than two terms or 10 years as Head of Government, the FNM in 2001 held special elections for Leader-Designate and Deputy Leader-Designate of the Party, with Sen. Tommy Turnquest emerging as the victor who would assume leadership of the FNM on the night of the next general elections.
Although the FNM lost the 2002 general elections, Mr. Ingraham, retained his North Abaco seat. During the Party's November 2005 convention, he was again elected FNM Leader. The Rt. Hon. Hubert Ingraham is married to the former Delores Miller of Long Island, and they have five children.
Brent Symonette is the Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement and the incumbent Member of Parliament for the newly constituted St. Anne's Constituency.
He is the son of the late Sir Roland Symonette, the first Premier of The Bahamas and the late Lady Symonette.
Mr. Symonette started his education at St Andrew’s School in Nassau, then attended Leys School, Cambridge, England. He pursued higher education at Brunel University, London, England, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours in Politics and Law. He was called to the Bar as a member of the Inner Temple, London and to The Bahamas Bar in 1978.
A former FNM Senator, he has served in the FNM Government as Minister of Tourism and Attorney General.
The Deputy Leader has also served as Chairman of the Hotel Corporation, Chairman of the Airport Authority, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, and as Opposition Whip in Parliament.
Mr. Symonette is married to the former Robin Mactaggart of Nassau and the couple has three children.
