Kamla Persad-Bissessar

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The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC MP
7th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2010
President	George Maxwell Richards Anthony Carmona
Preceded by	Patrick Manning
Leader of the United National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 January 2010
Preceded by	Basdeo Panday
7th Chairperson of the Commonwealth of Nations
In office 26 May 2010 – 28 October 2011
Preceded by	Patrick Manning
Succeeded by	Julia Gillard
Leader of the Opposition
In office 25 February 2010 – 25 May 2010
Preceded by	Basdeo Panday
Succeeded by	Keith Rowley
In office 26 April 2006 – 8 November 2007
Preceded by	Basdeo Panday
Succeeded by	Basdeo Panday
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
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 November 1995
Preceded by	Sahid Hosein
Personal details
Born	(1952-04-22) 22 April 1952 (age 63) Penal, Trinidad and Tobago
Political party	United National Congress
Other political affiliations	People's Partnership
Spouse(s)	Gregory Bissessar
Alma mater	University of the West Indies
Religion	Baptist Hinduism
Website	Official website

Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC, MP (born 22 April 1952^[1]) is the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, in office since 26 May 2010. She is the country's first female Prime Minister.^[2][3]

Persad-Bissessar is the political leader of the United National Congress and leads the People's Partnership, a coalition of three parties, formed for 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 and Opposition in 2010.^[4]

 

Contents

 [hide] 

• 1 Education and early career
• 2 Political career
  • 2.1 Political leader
  • 2.2 Prime Minister
• 3 Personal life
• 4 References
• 5 External links

 

Education and early career[edit]

Born at Siparia, 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.^[5]

Political career[edit]

Persad-Bissessar has served as Member of Parliament for the Siparia constituency since 1995. 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.^[6] The position of Leader of the Opposition was declared vacant by President George Maxwell Richards^[7] after Basdeo Panday was convicted of failing to make an accurate declaration to the Integrity Commission concerning a bank account held in London.^[8] Persad-Bissessar was subsequently appointed Leader of the Opposition on 26 April 2006.

Political leader[edit]

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[edit]

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.

Jack Warner indicated on 3 June 2015 that she was involved in corrupt practices: "It also deals with my knowledge of international transactions at FIFA, including—but not limited to—its president, Mr. Sepp Blatter, and, lastly, other matters involving the nation’s current prime minister."^[9]

Personal life[edit]

Persad-Bissessar is married to Dr. Gregory Bissessar and has one son.^[10] 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."^[11]

In August 2011, government officials confirmed that Persad-Bissessar had been stricken with dengue fever, and would carry out duties of the State under medical supervision.^[12]

Shut yuh stink mouth! You are not for unity.

what unity? dis clown jus love dis cause of Kamla bein coolie

She did well.

Hope Coalition follows her example and "Kamla" any Govt official found doing wrong.

New Broomes seems like she would be the first one to be Kamlaed.

elana06 should go to TT and then she will see the real situation. This lady is not liked among the majority trinidadians. JAck Warner was the one who got her there and there is a belief in TT that he can bring her down. Her Govt acts just like the PPP

Warner wants her to cover up his thieving.

Lady not for that.

Exactly how has she done well?  Looked at how many incompetent, or roguish ministers that she selected, only to have to fire them. 

Only the fact that Trinidadians have no tolerance for this, and there is a 20% swing vote that she is afraid would move against her caused her to get rid of them.

And how is she inclusive?  Looking at her circle one would think that she is in India. 

But for COP this woman would be history.

She was quite happy with Warner, knowing full well of his corruption.  It is only when he confronted her over some issue all of a sudden this was problematic.  Warner was known to be corrupt even during the Panday era.

All you naysayers can't even wipe the lady's shooz...She has UNITED Trinidad and they are many moons ahead of abee Guyana..

Trinidad has the same polarized race voting as does Guyana.  And that is in addition to the light skinned vs. dark skinned issues which are more problematic there than it is in Guyana.

So aside from being an Indian female, how has she united Trinidad?  I know you cannot answer, so that is OK.

Trinidadians never had the racial problems that Guyana has. Kamla never unite anyone they were always united

Hehe Caribny - do you think Trinis racist like you...Indians are abt 37%, blacks 36% and mixed 25%..Do some reading and see how UNITED the country has become since she has been in there...

I will repeat, Kudos to her.

not according to Carib - he thinks everyone is like him.

Why your beloved PPP did not unite the people????

they had 23 yrs.

Guyana 40% Indian, 30% African and 20% mixed, in addition to the 10% Amerindian.  So what do your stats indicate, other than Trinidad and Guyana have very similar ethnic demographics.

In addition any political description of Trinidad will show the majority East Indian supported UNC and majority African supported PNM.

But as I expected you behave like an illiterate female, instead of the educated woman that you claim to be.  Because if you had any brains you would know that the sources of an reading will indicate opinions set out.  The PNM will claim they unite and the UNC divides.  The UNC will say the opposite.

Any way as suspected you are UNABLE to prove your point.

carib...take it light bhai.give the sister some breathing space.

Poor dumb alena.  Pointblank is saying that Kamla DID NOT unite Trinidadians as they were always united.  He is NOT agreeing with you.

The notion of Trinis being united is simplistic.  Go on their forums and you see the same race wars that we have.  A young Trini girl was wining on Rowley and all the old heads got offended.  She called them "racial".   That exchange will be very familiar to Guyanese.

Trinidad has a more complex society than does Guyana.  In addition to the horizontal competition for space between Africans and Indians, it also has a vertical dynamic based on skin color.  To the point where in the late 90s certain clubs didn't admit dark skinned blacks or Indians on the nights when the light skinned people were there. 

I have never heard of any establishment in Guyana refusing admittance based on skin color.

I would if alena admitted that she was an uneducated female.  She claims to be educated though.

Carib would not give Indians anywhere credit for anything.

Only Carib is non-racial.  National honor should have gone to Carib not Bilal Ato.

What credit do you give to the Afro Guyanese who claim discrimination under Jagdeo/Ramotar?

 Now read what your AFC thought of your "non racist" PPP.

http://afcguyana.com/afcnew/?p=3870

http://www.caribbeanamericanfo...r-be-appointed-seni/

Look at what Nigel Hughes says about institutional PPP racism.  I guess he becomes another anti Indian black supremacist.

Told you that you would be back in the PPP by August screaming about "dem black man na want we fuh tek over de PNC like we control de PPP".

Alena has now resorted to throwing spaghetti on the wall hoping for one noodle to stick. The experience must be troubling and pathetic, nuh alena06?