Kamla Persad-Bissessar

The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC, MP
Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent
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
Incumbent
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 Chair 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
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 November 1995
Preceded by	Sahid Hosein
Majority	10,141 (51.6%)
Personal details
Born	(1952-04-22) 22 April 1952 Penal, 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 Hugh Wooding Law School

The Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC, MP (born 22 April 1952^[1]) is a Trinidadian politician who was the seventh Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 26 May 2010 to 9 September 2015. She was the country's first female prime minister. ^[2][3]

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.^[4]

Education and early career

Kamla Persad-Bissessar was born in Penal, South Trinidad to parents both of Indian descent.^[5] Her ancestors originated in Bhelupur, Buxar, Bihar, India.^[6] 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 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

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

• Official website
• Kamla's Karma – Anthony Milne, Trinidad Express 10 June 2002.
• Biography from Nalis.