NRI become the
first woman Leader of opposition in the Trinidad
Trinidad, April , 2006
Gary Singh
NRI, Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar a former Attorney Genera has become
the first woman Leader of opposition in the Trinidad and Tobago
parliament and was appointed by the country's President George Maxwell
Richards. The seat was vacated because, Panday, a former prime minister
and chairman of the opposition United National Congress, was sentenced
to six years in jail on three counts for failing to declare his
assets in a London bank account. He was ordered to serve two years
in jail, fines of $10,000 and has been asked to reimburse $250,000
to the state.
Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar was sworn in as Minister of Education
on December 22, 2000. Mrs Persad-Bissessar is assigned the responsibility
of Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Schools as well as Technical
and Vocational Education and Training, Special Education and Teacher
Education. Additionally, she is responsible for Educational Broadcasting,
Educational Counselling and Guidance, Moral, Ethical and Spiritual
values and Physical Education in schools.
Also under the purview of this Minister are Educational Facilities
Management of Pre-schools, Primary and Secondary Schools, Examinations,
Registration of Private Education Institutions, School Boards and
the School Nutrition Programme.
The National Commission for UNESCO also falls under the jurisdiction
of Mrs Persad-Bissessar.
Mrs. Persad-Bissessar was formally sworn in as Attorney General
on November 9, 1995. She was subsequently appointed as Minister
of Legal Affairs on February 2, 1996 and held this post up to October
1999. She was appointed Minister of Education in 1999 and has retained
this portfolio following the 2000 elections.
Mrs. Persad-Bissessar was born on April 4, 1952 in Siparia and
was the first female Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago when
she was sworn in as Attorney General in November 1995. She also
acted Prime Minister in September 2000, thus being the first female
to act Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Mrs. Persad-Bissessar
attended Norwood Technical College and later University of the West
Indies where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts (General) (1974) and
a Diploma in Education (1976). She was a lecturer in Language and
Linguistics at UWI's St Augustine and Mona campuses and a teacher
at Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College. She was also a social worker with
the Church of England Children's Society in London.
In 1985, Mrs Persad-Bissessar opted to pursue a career in law
when she entered the Hugh Wooding Law School where she was named
top student at her graduation two years later. She worked in the
chambers of Mr Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj before practicing on her
own from 1988.
Mrs Persad-Bissessar entered politics in 1987 when she became
an alderman for the National Alliance for Reconstruction in the
St Patrick County Council. She was appointed as an Opposition Senator
in November 1994 and in November 1995 and 2000 was elected Parliamentary
Representative for Siparia.
Mrs Persad-Bissessar is married to Dr Gregory Bissessar and is
the mother of one son. Her recreational interests are reading and
walking. She also has an interest in social work and equal opportunities
for women being a former secretary and vice chairperson of the National
Organisation for Women.
Appointed Attorney General October 1, 2001
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