Kamla Persad-Bissessar

The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC MP
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 May 2010
President	George Maxwell Richards
Preceded by	Patrick Manning
Political Leader United National Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 January 2010
Preceded by	Basdeo Panday
Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office
In office 26 May 2010 – 28 October 2011
Preceded by	Patrick Manning
Succeeded by	Julia Gillard
Leader of the Opposition
In office 25 February 2010 – 25 May 2010
Preceded by	Basdeo Panday
Succeeded by	Keith Rowley
In office 26 April 2006 – 8 November 2007
Preceded by	Basdeo Panday
Succeeded by	Basdeo Panday
Attorney General & Minister of Legal Affairs
In office 05 October 2001 – 24 December 2001
Preceded by	Ramesh Maharaj
Succeeded by	Glenda Morean
In office 27 November 1995 – 02 February 1996
Preceded by	Keith Sobion
Succeeded by	Ramesh Maharaj
Minister of Education
In office 22 October 1999 – 04 October 2001
Preceded by	Adesh Nanan
Succeeded by	Ganga Singh
Minister of Legal Affairs
In office 03 February 1996 – 21 October 1999
Preceded by	Keith Sobion
Succeeded by	Ramesh Maharaj
Member of Parliament for Siparia
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 November 1995
Preceded by	Sahid Hosein
Majority	15,808
Personal details
Born	(1952-04-22) 22 April 1952 Penal, Trinidad and Tobago
Political party	United National Congress
Spouse(s)	Gregory Bissessar
Alma mater	University of the West Indies
Religion	Hinduism
Website	Official website

Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC, MP (born 22 April 1952 in Siparia) is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the seventh person to hold this position. She was sworn in as Prime Minister on May 26, 2010 and is the country's first female Prime Minister.

Persad-Bissessar is the political leader of the United National Congress and leads the People's Partnership, a coalition of five parties, formed for the general election of 24 May 2010. She was the first woman to serve as Attorney General, acting Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago. She became Political Leader of the United National Congress and Opposition in 2010.

Education and early career

She graduated from Iere High School and went on to further her studies at the University of the West Indies, Norwood Technical College (England), and the Hugh Wooding Law School. Consequently, 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.

On completion of her studies, Mrs. Persad-Bissessar entered the teaching profession. While in England pursuing studies, she worked as a social worker with the Church of England Children’s Society of London. She taught at the St. Andrew High School in Kingston, Jamaica and at the Mona Campus in Jamaica. Later, she taught at the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad. At the Jamaica College of Insurance she was also a Consultant Lecturer. Her next step was to lecture at a Tertiary Education institution. After lecturing for a total of six years, Mrs. Persad-Bissessar then became a full-time Attorney-at-Law.

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 December 22, 2000, she was sworn in as the Minister of Education.

On April 25, 2006 she received the support of the majority of Opposition MPs for the post of Leader of the Opposition. The position of Leader of the Opposition was declared vacant by President George Maxwell Richards after Basdeo Panday was convicted of failing to make an accurate declaration to the Integrity Commission concerning a bank account held in London. His Appeal is pending. Persad-Bissessar was subsequently appointed Leader of the Opposition on April 26, 2006.

Political Leader

On January 24, 2010, Kamla Persad-Bissessar was elected Political Leader of the United National Congress, emerging victorious over the party's founder, Mr. Basdeo Panday. She was formally appointed Opposition Leader on February 25, 2010, having gained the support of a majority of UNC MPs.

Prime Minister

Persad-Bissessar took office after the victory of the People's Partnership in the general election of 24 May 2010 defeating the incumbent government of the People's National Movement, who 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.

Personal life

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

In August 2011, government officials confirmed that Persad-Bissessar had been stricken with dengue fever, and would carry out duties of the State under medical supervision.

External links

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

Political offices
Preceded by Basdeo Panday	Leader of the Opposition 2006–2007	Succeeded by Basdeo Panday
	Leader of the Opposition 2010	Succeeded by Keith Rowley
Preceded by Patrick Manning	Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago 2010–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Basdeo Panday	Political Leader of the United National Congress 2010–present	Incumbent
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Patrick Manning	Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office 2010–2011	Succeeded by Julia Gillard