Prime Minister Philip Davis’s Statement on the Prorogation of Parliament

My fellow Bahamians,

Earlier this week, I met with Her Excellency the Governor-General, and advised that, in accordance with Article 66(1) of our Constitution, Parliament be prorogued as of today, Friday, the 27^th of March, 2026.

That Proclamation has now been issued and should now be in the possession of the Commissioner of Police.

Proroguing Parliament means the legislative session has come to an end.

Proroguing is a routine step in our constitutional system – but it is not the same as dissolving Parliament. When Parliament is dissolved, the law requires that registration of voters ends, and we move to a general election.

I haven’t advised the dissolution of Parliament yet – but I am very close to ringing that bell.

I want every Bahamian to know – by the time you hear that bell ring, if you are not registered, you will not be eligible to vote.

Do not wait for the bell. 

Go now — to your nearest Parliamentary Registration location – and get registered.

To those who have moved since the last election and have not yet transferred, I encourage you to go now and do so. 

To our youngest voters, those who have turned 18 since the last election and have not yet registered: this is your democracy. This is your country. Claim your place in it. Go and register.

I don’t want any of you to sit on the sidelines.

Your voice matters.

Your vote matters.

Your role in shaping the future of this country matters.

My Friends:

We are all Bahamians. 

We all want this country to be safe. 

We all want it to be fair. 

We all want our country to give our children a real chance. 

We all want our nation to stand strong in a difficult world.

Let that shared love of country guide us now.

I urge you to exercise your precious right, one guaranteed under our Constitution.

Democracy thrives, and we all get better representation, when each of us makes our voices heard.

Over the next several weeks, I will make my case to the Bahamian people about the kind of country we can continue to build together.

I say ‘together’ because, amidst the noise and tussle of “Election Season”, we must not forget that, no matter where we fall politically, we all love this country.

We may belong to different parties.

We may hold different views.

We may argue with heated passion.

That is the nature of democracy.

But beneath those petty divisions lies something deeper than party, something older than politics.

When I look at our country, I see a people with strength.

I see a people with dignity.

I see a people who have endured hardship, held firm, and kept faith.

Above all, I see a country with real promise.

If we move through this moment with faith and love of country, with all my heart, I believe that our best days still lie ahead of us.

God has blessed us with a beautiful country, a strong people, and a democracy worth protecting.

May God bless each and every one of you.

And may God continue to bless our Commonwealth of The Bahamas.