Politics of the Turks and Caicos Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby as of August 9, 2006 the Premier is the head of government, and of a multi-party system.
In compliance with the Order in Council issued by Queen Elizabeth II, on March 16, 2009 the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Gordon Wetherell, in a broadcast to the British territory, announced that the constitution would be partially suspended for two years following receipt of the final Commission of Inquiry report into government corruption.
On March 24, 2009, Premier Michael Misick resigned as Britain prepared to take direct administrative control of the territory.
The prerogative of the ministerial government and the House of Assembly were vested in the islands' incumbent governor, Gordon Wetherell, for a period of up to two years, which could be shortened or extended as necessary.
[2] On 31 May 2009, the Commission of Inquiry, led by Sir Robin Auld, a former Lord Justice of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales reported to the Governor that it had found "a high probability of systemic corruption in government and the legislature and among public officers in the Turks & Caicos Islands in recent years.
Following receipt of the review by the Governor, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office appointed Kate Sullivan to conduct a review and hold a series of public consultations with groups and invidividuals, and make recommendations for revisions to the TCI Constitution and various laws relating to belonger status, the electoral system, governmental transparency and accountability, and financial management of the territory.
[4] In January 2012, Governor Ric Todd, who had been sworn in on 12 September 2011, published a set of eight "milestones" that would have to be met before elections could be held in the territory and self-government resumed.
[5] On 12 June 2012, British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced to the House of Commons in London that sufficient progress had been made towards the milestones that elections would be held in the Turks and Caicos Islands on 9 November.
The investigations and prosecutions will proceed independently of a future elected Government.A civil recovery team was appointed to recover property and redress loses arising from corruption.
The team expects to recover significant further amounts of cash, land or other assets.On 7 December 2012, it was reported that former Premier Misick had been arrested in Brazil on the request of the British government, who planned to seek his extradition back to the Turks and Caicos Islands to face corruption charges.
The result was a narrow victory for the Progressive National Party, which won 8 of the 15 seats in the House of Assembly despite winning fewer votes overall than the opposition People's Democratic Movement.
In a speech to the House, Governor Todd announced that he would convene a commission to prepare the way for the territory's eventual independence from the United Kingdom, which both political parties agreed should be their goal.