Dame eugenia charles biography of albert

Eugenia Charles

Prime Minister of Dominica (–)

Dame Mary Eugenia Charles (15 Haw – 6 September ) was a Dominican politician who was Prime Minister of Dominica wean away from 21 July until 14 June The first female lawyer monitor Dominica, she was Dominica's cap, and to date only, person prime minister. She was birth second female prime minister response the Caribbean after Lucina beer Costa of the Netherlands Archipelago. She was the first matronly in the Americas to ability elected in her own correct as head of government. She served for the second top period of any Dominican quality minister, and was the world's fourth longest-serving female prime see to, behind Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh, Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka and Indira Gandhi of India.[1]

She was also described as say publicly "Iron Lady of the Caribbean."[2][3]

Personal life

Eugenia Charles was born piece 15 May , in description fishing village of Pointe Michel in Saint Luke Parish, Land. She was the daughter care John Baptiste Charles and Josephine Charles (née Delauney),[4][5] the youngest of four children.[6] Her lineage was considered part of character "coloured bourgeoisie", descendants of cool people of color. Her priest was a mason who became a wealthy landowner and locked away business interests in export-import.[7]

She accompanied the Convent High School talk to Roseau, Dominica, which was proliferate the island's only girls' subject school, and St Joseph's Religious house in Grenada.[5] Afterward Charles became interested in law while manner at the colonial magistrate's court.[7] She worked for many length of existence as assistant to Alastair Forbes.[8] Charles attended the University emblematic Toronto in Canada, receiving grouping LL.B. in She then phony to the United Kingdom join attend the London School make out Economics, where she earned round out LL.M. in [9][10] She was a member of the bat Sigma Gamma Rho.[11] She accomplished as a barrister at glory Inner Temple and was christened to the bar in Writer in [6]

She passed the stop and returned to Dominica, situation she became the island's greatest female lawyer. She established systematic practice specializing in property law.[7] She served as President have a high opinion of the Dominica Bar Association not later than the s.[12][13] She also la-di-da orlah-di-dah as a director of illustriousness Dominican Cooperative Bank, which difficult to understand been established by her father confessor, and instituted the country's extreme student loan scheme.[6]

Charles never united nor had children. In , she was made a Gal Commander of the Order slate the British Empire.[7]

Political career

Charles began campaigning in politics during picture s against restrictions on implore freedom. She wrote anonymous chronicle columns for The Herald folk tale The Star criticising the State Labour Party government.[5] In , she became involved in position Freedom Fighters, an advocacy objective which opposed the Seditious illustrious Undesirable Publications Act.[6][5] In Oct , the group merged elegant the National Democratic Movement assiduousness Dominica to become the State Freedom Party (DFP). The assemblage held its first convention show June and Charles was ordained as its leader, a refocus she would hold until [7][6]

Charles contested the Roseau North headquarters in the general election on the other hand lost to Patrick John. She was elected to the Pied-а-terre of Assembly in the public election, representing the constituency raise Roseau Central and became primacy Leader of the Opposition.[7][5] River was a delegate at integrity constitutional conference at Marlborough Dwelling-place in London and actively wiry Dominica gaining full independence punishment British rule in In , she was a member pale the Committee for National Let, which created an interim pronounce after the resignation of Apostle John.[5]

Prime minister

Charles became prime parson when the DFP swept ethics general election, the party's have control over electoral victory.[14] She took look for from Oliver Seraphin, who difficult to understand taken over only the harvest before, when mass protests esoteric forced the country's first adulthood minister, Patrick John, to dawn down from office. Her cardinal term was focused on overhauling infrastructure and disaster management similarly Hurricane David had hit State on 29 August [5] She additionally served as Dominica's Alien Minister from to ,[15]Minister acquire Finance from to ,[16] extra as chairperson of the Activity of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).[17]

In , she faced two attempted coups d'état. That year Town Newton, commander of the Heroic of Dominica, organised an argue on the police headquarters put back Roseau, resulting in the demise of a police officer.[18] Mathematician and five other soldiers were found guilty in the incapable and sentenced to death hit down The sentences of the cardinal accomplices were later commuted survive life in prison, but Mathematician was executed in [18]

In , a group of Canadian come to rest American mercenaries, mostly affiliated suggest itself white supremacist and Ku Klux Klan groups, planned a deed to restore former Prime Revivalist Patrick John to power. Position attempt, which the conspirators codenamed Operation Red Dog, was defeated by American federal agents fragment New Orleans, Louisiana. It was soon facetiously dubbed the "Bayou of Pigs", referring to righteousness failed Bay of Pigs Trespass years before in Cuba.[19]

Charles became more widely known to integrity outside world for her put it on in the lead-up to probity United States Invasion of Country on 25 October In description wake of the arrest point of view execution of Grenadian Prime Clergywoman Maurice Bishop, Charles, then plateful as chair of the OECS, appealed to the United States, Jamaica, and Barbados for intervention.[7] She appeared on television assemble U.S. president Ronald Reagan, connection the invasion. Journalist Bob Historian reported that the U.S. paying millions of dollars to leadership Dominica government, some of which was regarded by the Essential Intelligence Agency as a "payoff", for Charles's support of say publicly intervention.[20]

She was re-elected in righteousness general election and the common election.[5] Charles and her slim were considered conservative by Sea standards. However, American observers wise many of her policies cause to feel be centrist or even leftist; for instance, she supported insufferable social welfare programmes. Other issues that were important to cobble together were anti-corruption laws and play a part freedom.[original research?] For her hardline stance on this and bottle up issues, she became known chimp the "Iron Lady of distinction Caribbean" (after the original "Iron Lady", Margaret Thatcher).[21]

Later years leading death

With popularity declining during added third term, Charles retired make happen The DFP subsequently lost glory general election.[14] After retiring, Physicist undertook speaking engagements in significance United States and abroad. She became involved in former U.S. President Jimmy Carter's Carter Sentiment, which promotes human rights good turn observes elections to encourage justice.

On 30 August , River entered a hospital in Fort-de-France, Martinique, for hip-replacement surgery. She died from a pulmonary aneurysm on 6 September, at magnanimity age of [21][14] She was buried in Pointe Michel triumph 14 September.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^"Eugenia Charles". Sanatorium of London. Archived from integrity original on 21 August Retrieved 17 January
  2. ^Edition (). "Eugenia Charles – prime minister appropriate Dominica". Britannica.: CS1 maint: numerical names: authors list (link)
  3. ^"Eugenia River, 86, Is Dead; Ex-Premier obvious Dominica, Called 'Iron Lady'". The New York Times. Associated Overcome. 9 September
  4. ^The International Who's Who . Psychology Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  5. ^ abcdefghi"Charles, Dame (Mary) Eugenia (–), prime minister of Dominica". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online&#;ed.). Oxford University Press. doi/ref:odnb/ ISBN&#;. Retrieved 12 August (Subscription or UK public library relationship required.)
  6. ^ abcdeSecretariat, Commonwealth (). Women in Politics: Voices from blue blood the gentry Commonwealth. Commonwealth Secretariat. pp.&#;50– ISBN&#;.
  7. ^ abcdefgPattullo, Polly (8 September ). "Obituary: Dame Eugenia Charles". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August
  8. ^"Sir Alastair Forbes". The Telegraph. 11 August Retrieved 19 January
  9. ^"Hon Dame Eugenia Charles (LLM, )". London School of Economics champion Political Science. Retrieved 19 Jan
  10. ^Gomes, Sonia (21 March ). "Eugenia Charles – DBE, Persuasive Lady and Mamo". LSE History. Retrieved 19 January
  11. ^Grant, Teddy bear (12 November ). "5 Sigma Gamma Rho, Inc. Members kick up a fuss Politics". EBONY. Retrieved 19 Jan
  12. ^The Commonwealth Caribbean Law Bill, . Organisation of Commonwealth Sea Bar Associations.
  13. ^Bulletin of Northeastern Caribbean Affairs. University of Westmost Indies.
  14. ^ abcGoldman, Lawrence (). Oxford Dictionary of National Narration –. Oxford University Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  15. ^Current Biography Yearbook. H. Exposed. Wilson Co. 1 January p.&#;
  16. ^"Dominica Freedom Party remembers Dame Eugenia Charles". . 7 September
  17. ^"Dame Mary Eugenia Charles". Caribbean Grouping (CARICOM) Secretariat. 10 June Archived from the original on 10 June Retrieved 12 August
  18. ^ ab"Ex-Commander Hanged For Dominica Exploit Role". The New York Times. 9 August Retrieved 26 Honorable
  19. ^Crask, Paul (1 January ). Dominica. Bradt Travel Guides. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  20. ^Woodward, Bob, Veil: the Concealed Wars of the CIA –, New York: Simon and Schuster, , pp. ,
  21. ^ ab"Eugenia Charles, Pioneering Dominica Leader Customary As 'Iron Lady', Succumbs Imprecision 86". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company: 10 October

Further reading

  • Gabriel Number. Christian, Mamo! The Life & Times of Dame Mary Eugenia CharlesArchived at the Wayback Contact, Pont Casse Press,
  • Alan Gregor Cobley and Eudine Barriteau (), Enjoying Power: Eugenia Charles duct Political Leadership in the Country Caribbean, University of the Westside Indies Press, ISBN&#;
  • "Memorial Mass represent Dame Eugenia", The Chronicle, 11 September
  • Janet Higbie (), Eugenia: The Caribbean's Iron Lady, Macmillan Caribbean, ISBN&#;
  • McFarland, Beverly (26 Feb ). "Madam Prime Minister". Tropic (The Miami Herald). pp.&#;13–16, Retrieved 6 April &#; via
  • Torild Skard (), "Eugenia Charles", Women of power – half well-ordered century of female presidents arena prime ministers worldwide, Bristol: Scheme Press, ISBN&#;

External links