O. Tommy Turnquest

Sir Orville Alton Turnquest GCMG, ( born July 19, 1929 in Grants Town, New Providence, Bahamas) is a politician of the Bahamas.

Biography

Turnquest is a member of the Free National Movement ( FNM). When they scored a national election victory over the, reigning since 1967 Progressive Liberal Party (PLP ) of Prime Minister Lynden O. Pindling in August 1992, he was appointed on 21 August 1992 as Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Minister and Foreign Minister of the new Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham. In the parliamentary elections, he ( House of Assembly ) was also elected deputy of the meeting house, where he represented the interests of the constituency Montagu.

In November 1994 he resigned as Prime Minister and was instead sworn in on January 3, 1995 as the successor of Sir Clifford Darling as Governor General of the Bahamas. Upon his appointment, he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George. During his tenure, he opened, more than any other governor general of the Bahamas before, his residence ( Government House ), the normal people, so that the Government House was popularly referred to as "The People's House ". As a big proponent of a " United Bahamas " he saw himself as a unifier of all the islands and districts of the Bahamas.

After about seven years in office, he first wanted to resign on 31 October 2001. The official retirement date was then postponed to 13 November 2001 in order to allow even Queen Elizabeth II the opportunity of a formal farewell at Buckingham Palace. Sir Orville Turnquest resigned to clear his son Tommy Turnquest, the top candidates of the FNM, the way to become Prime Minister in 2002 after the elections to the meeting house. However, the FNM suffered a severe defeat, so that Perry Christie of the new PLP became prime minister.