Kamla Persad-Bissessar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7th Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 21 September 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | Keith Rowley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Keith Rowley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 26 May 2010 – 9 September 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
President |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Patrick Manning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Keith Rowley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4th Political Leader of the United National Congress | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Assumed office 24 January 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | Basdeo Panday | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Kamla Susheila Persad[5] 22 April 1952 Siparia, Colony of Trinidad and Tobago, British Empire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Political party | United National Congress (1994–present) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other political affiliations | National Alliance for Reconstruction (1987–1994) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spouse |
Gregory Bissessar (m. 1971) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Education | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alma mater | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occupation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards | Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC MP (pronounced [kəmlɑː prəsɑːd̪-biseːsər] (; born Kamla Susheila Persad, )[5] 22 April 1952),[6] often referred to by her initials KPB, is a Trinidadian lawyer, politician and educator who is the Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago, political leader of the United National Congress (UNC) political party, and was the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 26 May 2010 until 9 September 2015. She was the country's first female prime minister, attorney general, and Leader of the Opposition,[7][8] the first woman to chair the Commonwealth of Nations[9] and the first woman of Indian origin to be a prime minister of a country outside of India and the wider subcontinent.
Persad-Bissessar became political leader of the UNC in 2010.[10] In 2011, Persad-Bissessar was named the thirteenth most influential female leader around the world by Time magazine.[11]
Persad-Bissessar held the premiership from May 2010 to September 2015, where she was also the leader of the People's Partnership - a political coalition of centre and center-left wing parties that governed the country. Since September 2015, she has been the Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago. After the coalition disbanded in September 2015, following their electoral defeat, Persad-Bissessar attempted to regain power in the August 2020 elections; however, the UNC only managed to increase their seat count by 2 and the popular vote by 20,000. Nonetheless, the PNM under the leadership of Keith Rowley (who later became Trinidad and Tobago's seventh Prime Minister) maintained power and was re-elected, however, with a smaller majority.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) PNM lose to Peoples Partnership in Trinidad elections 2010]. Ttgapers.com 24 May 2010.