Oliver Seraphin
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Oliver James Seraphin (Born August 2, 1943), nicknamed "O.J.," was the Prime Minister of Caribbean island country Dominica from June 25, 1979, to July 21, 1980. He has six children by his wife, Lily.
Seraphin grew up in Roseau, the capital, and received primary and secondary education at Roseau Mixed School and Dominica Grammar School; later in life, he studied at the Carnegie Institute in the United States and in Cuba. He worked in the insurance industry, and was active in the founding of Dominica Airways. [1]
He served in the socialist Dominica Labour Party government of Prime Minister Patrick John; John held the post for five years until he forced out by protests in 1979. Seraphin originally held the posts of Minister of Communications, Works, and Housing, but in a cabinet reshuffling, the Prime Minister made him Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Caricom Affairs. During this time, the Commonwealth of Dominica received its independence from the United Kingdom. When violent crowds opposed to the John government protested outside the House of Assembly, Seraphin resigned, and John did the same shortly afterward.[1]
Seraphin returned to government, in the position of Prime Minister, on June 25, upon request from the "Committee of National Salvation." Hurricane David, which hit Dominica in August 1979, killed 56 people, and devastated the island, would weaken his government, and he became preoccupied with rescue and rebuilding efforts. Seraphin traveled to Barbados, Canada, France, the United States, and Venezuela to seek financial aid for rebuilding his county's infrastructure. He was succeeded less than 400 days after his appointment by Eugenia Charles, who would reign for the next 15 years, and hasn't returned to politics since. Her party, the Dominica Freedom Party, defeated his, the Democratic Labour Party (which soon faded from the political scene), by a large margin in the 1980 election. [2]
Searphin's government is most commonly referred to as the "Interim Government." Since leaving politics, he has returned to business, especially that which is tourism-related, and maintains a public profile.
| Preceded by Patrick John |
Prime Minister of Dominica 1979 to 1980 |
Succeeded by Eugenia Charles |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Seraphin, Oliver:. Lennox Honychurch. Retrieved on 10 November 2006.
- ^ Oliver J. Seraphin. www.dominicaelections.com. Retrieved on 10 November 2006.
