Roosevelt Skerrit

Infobox Prime Minister
name = Roosevelt Skerrit
office = Prime Minister of Dominica
president = Nicholas Liverpool
term_start = 8 January 2004
term_end =
predecessor = Pierre Charles
successor =
constituency_MP2 = Vieille Case
majority2 = 684 (50.66%)
term_start2 = 31 January 2000
term_end2 =
predecessor2 = Vernice Bellony
successor2 =
birth_date = birth date and age|1972|6|8|df=y
birth_place =
residence = Vieille Case
Morne Bruce
death_date =
death_place =
party = DLP
alma_mater = New Mexico State University
University of Mississippi
religion = Roman Catholic
website = [http://www.dominica.gov.dm/cms/index.php?q=node/36]

Roosevelt Skerrit (born 8 June 1972) is the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica as well the Member of Parliament for the Vieille Case constituency. Regionally, he has served as the Chairman of the OECS.

Skerrit attended the Portsmouth Secondary School before transferring to the Dominica Grammar School, where as high school senior he was elected 'head boy', President of the Student Council. He began his college education at New Mexico State University and transferred to the University of Mississippi, from where he graduated with a BA in English and Psychology. While at New Mexico State University he was also president of the Dominica Students Association. [ [http://www.dominicaelections.com/index.php?cat=4&subcat=0&constituency=Vieille+Case&party=DLP "2005 Candidates"] , Dominicaelections.com, May 5,2005.] He was initially a member of the youth arm of the Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), the Young Freedom Movement, but became a member of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) when he returned to Dominica from college. He was an English lecturer at the Clifton-Dupigny Community College until he was elected to parliament for the Vieille Case constituency in the February 2000 elections.

He initially served as Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, and upon the death of Roosevelt Douglas he was made minister of Education, Sports and Youth affairs. As Minister of Education, he established the Dominica State College. He also led a secret mission to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Barbados, irrespective of the fact that Dominica already had diplomatic relations with the Republic of China on Taiwan. [ [http://www.thedominican.net/articles/newsdesk.htm "The Summer of Discontent"] , The Dominican, July 28, 2003.] On the death of Pierre Charles on 6 January 2004 he was nominated to be the country's prime minister and was sworn on 8 January, aged 31. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/01/08/dominica.pm.ap/index.html "Education minister named new Dominica leader"] , CNN, January 8, 2004.] After becoming prime minister, he was elected as the political leader of the Dominica Labour Party. [ [http://www.thedominican.net/articles/skerrit.htm "Prime Minister Skerrit Elected as Labour Party Leader"] , The Dominican, March 2, 2004.] Skerrit is currently the youngest head of government in the world.

In April 2004 Skerrit established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, severing relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan). [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/country_profiles/1166435.stm "Country profile: Dominica"] , BBC, December 9, 2006.] As part of the move Beijing agreed to give the country an aid package of over US$100,000,000.

In the 2005 General Elections he retained his seat by an even wider margin and his party gained one seat in the Parliament. His party won 12 seats in the parliament and 52% of the popular vote. [ [http://www.dominicaelections.com/live/index.php "Dominica Election 2005 Official Results"] , Dominica Elections, May 5, 2005.] The DLP defeated the Edison James-led opposition United Workers' Party who won 8 seats and 44% of the popular vote. The opposition sought to criticize his age [As of July 2008, Skerrit is the youngest elected national leader in the world. ( [http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=94970 "Foreign Policy Ranks Bulgaria PM among World's Ten Youngest Leaders"] , Sofia News Agency, July 10, 2008)] and relative inexperience, as well as pointing to the country's generally poor economic performance since the 2000 elections. [ [http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2005/05/09/elects.shtml "Dominica re-elects prime minister"] , Caribbean Net News, May 9, 2005.] The DLP response was that the poor economic performance was due to irresponsible borrowing during the UWP administration. Further, he noted the country's aid package from China and used his young age to mobilize youth voters. Following the election, he assumed the ministerial portfolios of Finance, Planning, National Security and Overseas Nationals.

Skerrit has forged a close relationship with leftist leaders Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, which has resulted in Dominica receiving substantial aid from Cuba and Venezuela. Dominica is set to play a major part in the Petrocaribe initiative; crude oil from Venezuela will be stored on the island for distribution to other islands. Further, the Venezuelan government has given Dominica a US$10.1 million grant for the expansion of the Melville Hall Airport and forgiven the island nation's US$1.5 million debt to Venezuela. On February 16, 2007 Chávez paid a state visit to Roseau, a rare visit by a major head of state to the island, where he inaugurated a fuel storage tank as part of the Petrocaribe initiative. [ [http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070218/int/int1.html "Venezuela's Chavez opens fuel storage facility in Dominica"] , Jamaica Gleaner, February 18, 2007.] Skerrit's administration agreed to join the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas. [ [http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={A27D9511-1593-4DF4-8328-7A610D81F66F})&language=EN "ALBA Radiates Light to the Caribbean"] , Prensa Latina, February 19, 2007.] In addition, Skerrit announced that his government had agreed to the construction of a $80,000,000USD refinery on the island.

The proposed refinery has prompted criticism from some environmentalist groups that an oil refinery is inconsistent with the island's image as an eco-tourist destination.

A Caribbean Development Research Services Inc (CADRES) poll conducted between February 2nd and 5th 2007 found that Prime Minister Skerrit was the most popular leader in the country with 58% of respondents favouring his leadership. [ [http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-679--31-31--.html "Dominica's prime minister leads popularity poll"] , Caribbean Net News, March 30, 2007.]

In a cabinet reshuffle announced on 16 October 2007, Skerrit assumed the portfolios of Foreign Affairs and Social Security, while remaining in charge of Finance; [ [http://www.cbc.bb/content/view/12867/45/ "New Cabinet in Dominica"] , Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, October 16, 2007.] [http://www.hardbeatnews.com/editor/RTE/my_documents/my_files/details.asp?newsid=13879&title=Top%20Stories "Dominica PM Makes Cabinet Changes"] , Hardbeatnews.com, October 17, 2007.] he gave up the portfolios of National Security and Economic Planning, which he had previously held.

References