Arthur Dion Hanna
BahamasBiography of Arthur Dion Hanna
Arthur Dion Hanna is an American politician and the seventh Governor-General of the Bahamas. He was born in Pompey Bay, Acklins. Hanna graduated from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, where he obtained a law degree. He was invited to join the Inner Temple and later became a member of both the English and Bahamian Bar associations.
Hanna actively participated in Bahamian politics starting from the 1950s. As a member of the Progressive Liberal Party, he first ran as a nominee for the Cat Island district (and lost) and later represented the Englerston constituency as a Member of Parliament in the Bahamian House of Assembly from 1960 to 1992. Throughout his political career, Hanna held several important cabinet posts, including Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas from 1967 to 1984.
As a strong advocate for trade unionism, Hanna played a significant role in the successful general strike of 1958. He provided valuable information and consultations to the labor union leaders, which contributed to the workers' victory. This led to a visit by Sir Alan Lennox-Boyd, the Colonial Secretary, to investigate the connection between the unions and the then opposition Progressive Liberal Party. Hanna played an important role in subsequent negotiations, which resulted in important constitutional changes, including an increase in the number of seats in the New Providence Council from eight to twelve.
In 1984, Hanna resigned from his position as Deputy to Prime Minister Lynden Pindling in protest against Pindling's decision to retain one of his criticized colleagues in the cabinet, following the Royal Commission of Inquiry that investigated rumors of corruption in high levels of power related to the flourishing drug trade in the 1980s. His resignation came in the same week as the dismissal of Hubert Ingraham and Perry Christie, both of whom were also vocal critics of retaining ministers whose activities interested the commission (both later served consecutive terms as Prime Ministers).
On February 1, 2006, Hanna was appointed as the Governor-General of the Bahamas by Queen Elizabeth II on the recommendation of the then Prime Minister Perry Christie. He was sworn into office by Chief Justice Sir Burton Hall.
