Kamla Persad-Bissessar

The Honourable
Kamla Persad-Bissessar
SC MP
Leader of the Opposition
Assumed office
9 September 2015
Prime Minister Keith Rowley
Preceded by Keith Rowley
In office
25 February 2010 – 25 May 2010
Prime Minister Patrick Manning
Preceded by Basdeo Panday
Succeeded by Keith Rowley
In office
26 April 2006 – 8 November 2007
Prime Minister Patrick Manning
Preceded by Basdeo Panday
Succeeded by Basdeo Panday
Leader of the United National Congress
Assumed office
24 January 2010
Preceded by Basdeo Panday
7th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
In office
26 May 2010 – 9 September 2015
President George Maxwell Richards
Anthony Carmona
Preceded by Patrick Manning
Succeeded by Keith Rowley
7th Chairperson of the Commonwealth of Nations
In office
26 May 2010 – 28 October 2011
Preceded by Patrick Manning
Succeeded by Julia Gillard
Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago
In office
5 October 2001 – 24 December 2001
Prime Minister Basdeo Panday
Preceded by Ramesh Maharaj
Succeeded by Glenda Morean
In office
27 November 1995 – 2 February 1996
Prime Minister Basdeo Panday
Preceded by Keith Sobion
Succeeded by Ramesh Maharaj
Minister of Education
In office
22 October 1999 – 4 October 2001
Prime Minister Basdeo Panday
Preceded by Adesh Nanan
Succeeded by Ganga Singh
Member of Parliament
for Siparia
Assumed office
6 November 1995
Preceded by Sahid Hosein
Majority 10,141 (51.6%)
Personal details
Born (1952-04-22) 22 April 1952
Penal, Penal-Debe, Trinidad and Tobago
Political party United National Congress
Other political
affiliations		 People's Partnership (2010–present)
Spouse(s) Gregory Bissessar
Alma mater University of the West Indies
Religion Hinduism, Christianity[1]

The Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC, MP (born 22 April 1952[2]) was the 7th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 26 May 2010 to 9 September 2015. She was the country's first female and first Indian female prime minister.[3][4]

Persad-Bissessar is the Political Leader of the United National Congress and is the current Leader of the Opposition of the People's Partnership coalition in the eleventh parliament, a coalition of three parties, which was formed to contest the general election of 24 May 2010. She was the first woman to serve as Attorney General, acting Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago. She became Political Leader of the United National Congress in 2010.[5]

Education and early career

Born in Penal,[6] Kamla Persad-Bissessar attended the University of the West Indies, Norwood Technical College (England), and the Hugh Wooding Law School. She was awarded a B.A. (Hons.), a Diploma in Education, a B.A. of Laws (Hons.) and a Legal Education Certificate. In 2006 she obtained an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA) from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, Trinidad.[7]

Political career

Persad-Bissessar has served as Member of Parliament for the Siparia constituency since 1995. She is ethnically Indian and her ancestors originated in Buxar in Bihar. She served as Attorney General in 1995 until Ramesh Maharaj was able to disassociate himself from ongoing cases and again in 2001 after Maharaj left the party. When the United National Congress formed Government on 22 December 2000, she was sworn in as the Minister of Education.

On 25 April 2006 she received the support of the majority of Opposition MPs for the post of Leader of the Opposition.[8] The position of Leader of the Opposition was declared vacant by President George Maxwell Richards[9] after Basdeo Panday was convicted of failing to make an accurate declaration to the Integrity Commission concerning a bank account held in London.[10] Persad-Bissessar was subsequently appointed Leader of the Opposition on 26 April 2006.

Political leader

On 24 January 2010, Kamla Persad-Bissessar was elected Political Leader of the United National Congress, emerging victorious over the party's founder, Basdeo Panday. She was formally appointed Opposition Leader on 25 February 2010, having gained the support of a majority of UNC MPs.

Prime Minister

Persad-Bissessar took office as Prime Minister after the victory of the People's Partnership in the general election of 24 May 2010, defeating the previous government of the People's National Movement, which had called an early election. She was the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and is also the first female Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office. She was succeeded as Chairperson-in-Office by Julia Gillard with the opening of the 2011 CHOGM on 28 October 2011.

Leader of the Opposition

On September 21, 2015, Mrs. Persad-Bissessar was appointed Leader of the Opposition by President Anthony Carmona after her party was defeated at the polls, following the September 7, 2015 general elections. The People's National Movement led by Dr. Keith Rowley secured 23 out of 41 seats to form the government, while the People's Partnership coalition led by Persad-Bissessar secured 18 out of the 41 seats in the House of Representatives to form the opposition.

Personal life

Persad-Bissessar is married to Dr. Gregory Bissessar and has one son.[11] She says, "I am baptised in the Baptist faith. I have no specific church as such. I am of both the Hindu and the Baptist faiths."[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Kamla Persad Bissessar is the new PM of Trinidad & Tobago". MeriNews.com. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
  2. ↑ Sookraj, Radhica (26 May 2010). "Kamla came from humble beginnings". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  3. ↑ ttgapers.com 2010. PNM lose to Peoples Partnership in Trinidad elections 2010. ttgapers.com 24 May 2010.
  4. ↑ Skard, Torild (2014) "Kamla Persad-Bissessar" in Women of power – half a century of female presidents and prime ministers worldwide, Bristol: Policy Press ISBN 978-1-44731-578-0, pp. 271–3
  5. ↑ Staff writer (25 May 2010). "WOMAN POWER: Kamla creates history in TT". Caribbean News Agency (CANA). Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  6. ↑ "Penal businessmen to work with Kamla". Guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  7. ↑ http://www.ttparliament.org/members.php?mid=54&id=KPB01
  8. ↑ Lord, Richard. 2006. "Leader Kamla: President's move forces UNC crisis decision", Trinidad Express, 26 April 2006.
  9. ↑ "Lawyers criticise Max for declaring vacancy", Trinidad Express, 26 April 2006.
  10. ↑ Cummings, Stephen (2006-01-16). "Trinidad's opposition leader set to go on trial". Caribbean Net News. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  11. ↑ House of Representatives: Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Ttparliament.org. Retrieved on 2012-04-26.
  12. ↑ Meet T and T PM, Kamla NationNews Barbados, June 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Political offices
Preceded by
Basdeo Panday		 Leader of the Opposition
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
Basdeo Panday
Leader of the Opposition
2010 		Succeeded by
Keith Rowley
Preceded by
Patrick Manning		 Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
2010–2015
Preceded by
Keith Rowley		 Leader of the Opposition
2015–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Basdeo Panday		 Leader of the United National Congress
2010–present 		Incumbent
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Patrick Manning		 Chairperson of the Commonwealth of Nations
2010–2011 		Succeeded by
Julia Gillard
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