Peter Caruana

Infobox Prime Minister
name =Peter Caruana


order =6th
office =Chief Minister of Gibraltar
term_start =May 17, 1996
term_end =
deputy =
predecessor =Joe Bossano
successor =Incumbent
birth_date =Birth date and age|1956|10|15|df=y
birth_place =Gibraltar
death_date =
death_place =
religion =Roman Catholic
spouse =
party =Gibraltar Social Democrats

Peter Richard Caruana QC (born 15 October 1956) is a Gibraltar politician, and has been Chief Minister of Gibraltar since 1996, when his party, the Gibraltar Social Democrats, first came to power. His party was re-elected to office in 2000, 2003 and 2007. He is a barrister by profession and was appointed a QC for Gibraltar in 1998.

He was educated at:
* Christian Brothers School, "Grace Dieu House" (Leicester)
* Queen Mary College, (London)
* Council Legal Education, (London)

Before serving as Chief Minister he was a partner in the Law Firm Triay & TriayHis leisure interests are golf and political and current affairs.

The GSD which he now leads, is robustly against any transfer of sovereignty to Spain, but remains in favour of safe dialogue. [ [http://www.gibnet.com/images/demo2.htm Mass Demonstration] ] As Chief Minister Caruana consistently refused to attend bi-lateral talks between the United Kingdom and Spain as part of the UK delegation, on the basis that the interests of the people of Gibraltar were not protected, and he did not want to give any measure of legitimacy to talks over which Gibraltar had no control.

Prior to being elected to Government his political career progressed steadily:

*1990, Became member of the Gibraltar Social Democrats.
*1991, Became leader of the party and in May 1991 gained a seat in the House of Assembly by winning Gibraltar's first contested by-election.
*In January 1992, Caruana led his party to the position of official opposition by winning seven seats in the House of Assembly.
*1996, Led the party to win in the general election in May and became Chief Minister of Gibraltar.

In 2002, he called a referendum on the subject of the proposed joint sovereignty deal which led to it being abandoned.

In December 2004 the principle of tripartite talks, with the Government of Gibraltar as an equal party with the UK and Spain, was finally recognised, largely as a result of his involvement. This resulted in the Cordoba Agreement which improved communications between Gibraltar and Spain with direct flights from Madrid, and in Spain finally recognising Gibraltar's international dialling code, thereby ending a long-standing dispute.

In November 2007 he was returned to office for a fourth term.

References

External links

* [http://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/chief_minister/chief_minister_index.htm Office of the Chief Minister Peter Caruana]
* [http://www.gsd.gi Gibraltar Social Democrats, party website]

ee also

* List of Gibraltarians
* Politics of Gibraltar
* History of the Maltese in Gibraltar