Kamla Persad-Bissessar

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Kamla Persad-Bissessar (born April 4, 1952 in Siparia) is a Trinidad and Tobago politician and lawyer, was the first woman to serve as Attorney General, acting Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago. She is a member of the Opposition United National Congress. Since 1995 she has served as Member of Parliament for Siparia. 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 in 2000, she was sworn in as the Minister of Education on December 22, 2000. On April 25, 2006 she received the support of the majority of Opposition MPs for the post of Leader of the Opposition.^[1] The position of Leader of the Opposition was declared vacant by President George Maxwell Richards^[2] after Basdeo Panday was convicted of failing to make an accurate declaration to the Integrity Commission concerning a bank account held in London.^[3] His Appeal is pending.

Persad-Bissessar was appointed Leader of the Opposition on April 26.

On April 27, 2005, Persad-Bissessar read into Hansard a letter from Dansam Dhansook, a People's National Movement Councillor who alleged that he had paid bribes to Minister of Energy Eric A. Williams and Minister of Works Franklin Khan.

Persad-Bissessar is married to Dr. Gregory Bissessar and has one son.