Winston Dookeran
Encyclopedia
Winston Dookeran is a Trinidad and Tobago
politician
and economist
. He currently serves as Political Leader of the Congress of the People
. His term ends on July 3, 2011 when internal elections will be held to select a political leader. At a press conference on May 28, 2011, Mr. Dookeran indicated that he will not be seeking re-election to the post. In the recently concluded May 24, 2010 election, he successfully ran for Member of Parliament
for the Tunapuna
constituency. He is the current Finance Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
in San Fernando
, Trinidad.
He then went on to attend the University of Manitoba
, Winnipeg, Canada, where he graduated with a BSc. in Economics
. It was there that Dookeran made his first entry into politics and he served as the president of the University of Manitoba Students' Union
He subsequently attended the London School of Economics
, where he obtained his Masters Degree in Economics.
. In 1981 Dookeran contested the constituency of Chaguanas
as a candidate of the United Labour Front
. He was victorious at the polls and was therefore elected as a Member of Parliament, and served in the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago
.
in 1986,when the ULF merged with other parties to form the National Alliance for Reconstruction
(NAR), Dookeran again contested the constituency of Chaguanas, and won. Under the leadership of Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, the NAR had massive success at the polls, winning an unprecedented thirty-three of the thirty six constituencies. Dookeran was made a Cabinet member as he was appointed Minister of Planning and Mobilization.
Dookeran later became Deputy Political Leader of the NAR was a senior member of the government, and acted on several occasions as Prime Minister,most notably during the attempted coup of 1990
when Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson was held hostage by the Jamaat al Muslimeen
.
Dookeran lost his seat in the 1991 elections.
He later became Senior Economist at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
(UNECLAC). He was also a member of the Executive Board of the Inter-American Development Bank
(IADB) and the governor of the Caribbean Development Bank
(CDB).
In July 1997 he was appointed as Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
. He held that post till 2002. Later that year he joined the United National Congress
and won the St Augustine constituency. In October 2005 Dookeran succeeded Basdeo Panday
as political leader of the United National Congress
after being nominated by Panday unopposed. He would later form his own political party, the Congress of the People(COP), that in coalition with his former party would contest and win the May 2010 snap elections.
Dookeran was then appointed Minister of Finance for the new People's Partnership coalition government and has since begun a series of unpopular programs designed to jumpstart the stagnant economy. Many have complained that his slow decision-making and uncreative solutions, particularly in the face of the effective and rapid-fire decisions made in other nations to starve off economic contagion and reinvigorate private sector spending, has put the nation at further financial risk.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
. He currently serves as Political Leader of the Congress of the People
Congress of the People (Trinidad and Tobago)
The Congress of the People is a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It is led by Prakash Ramadhar . Its symbol is the "Circle of Circles".- History :...
. His term ends on July 3, 2011 when internal elections will be held to select a political leader. At a press conference on May 28, 2011, Mr. Dookeran indicated that he will not be seeking re-election to the post. In the recently concluded May 24, 2010 election, he successfully ran for Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Tunapuna
Tunapuna
-Town:It is located between St. Augustine, Tacarigua and Trincity. Tunapuna is the largest town between San Juan and Arima. It is an important market and commercial centre, and is the seat of the Tunapuna-Piarco Regional Corporation...
constituency. He is the current Finance Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
Education
The young Winston Dookeran attended the prestigious Naparima CollegeNaparima College
Naparima College is a secondary school for teenaged males in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in San Fernando, the school was founded in 1894, but did not receive official recognition until 1900. The was established by Dr. Kenneth J. Grant, a Canadian Presbyterian missionary working among the Indian...
in San Fernando
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
, Trinidad.
He then went on to attend the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
, Winnipeg, Canada, where he graduated with a BSc. in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. It was there that Dookeran made his first entry into politics and he served as the president of the University of Manitoba Students' Union
He subsequently attended the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he obtained his Masters Degree in Economics.
The economist and the politician
Dookeran spent some fifteen years as a lecturer at the Department of Economics at the University of the West IndiesUniversity of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
. In 1981 Dookeran contested the constituency of Chaguanas
Chaguanas
The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality 2000 census) and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in Central Trinidad about south of Port of Spain. It grew in size due to its proximity to the Woodford Lodge sugar refinery. It remained a minor town until the 1980s when it...
as a candidate of the United Labour Front
United Labour Front
The United Labour Front was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago and the main opposition party between 1976 and 1986.-History:The party was established in 1975 by union leaders in an attempt to unify the mainly black workers in the oil industry with the mainly Indian workers in the sugar...
. He was victorious at the polls and was therefore elected as a Member of Parliament, and served in the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago
House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago
The House of Representatives is the elected Lower House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The House of Representatives sits in the Red House in Port of Spain. It has 41 members, each elected to represent single-seat constituencies...
.
in 1986,when the ULF merged with other parties to form the National Alliance for Reconstruction
National Alliance for Reconstruction
The National Alliance for Reconstruction was the governing party in Trinidad and Tobago between 1986 and 1991.-History:The party was established in 1986, aiming to be a multi-racial party...
(NAR), Dookeran again contested the constituency of Chaguanas, and won. Under the leadership of Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, the NAR had massive success at the polls, winning an unprecedented thirty-three of the thirty six constituencies. Dookeran was made a Cabinet member as he was appointed Minister of Planning and Mobilization.
Dookeran later became Deputy Political Leader of the NAR was a senior member of the government, and acted on several occasions as Prime Minister,most notably during the attempted coup of 1990
Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt
On Friday 27 July 1990, 114 members of the Jamaat al Muslimeen, an Afro-Trinidadian Islamic organisation, led by Imam Yasin Abu Bakr and Bilaal Abdullah attempted to stage a coup d'état against the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Forty-two insurgents stormed the Red House and took the Prime...
when Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson was held hostage by the Jamaat al Muslimeen
Jamaat al Muslimeen
The Jamaat al Muslimeen is a Muslim organisation within the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with a membership of predominantly Afro-Trinidadians....
.
Dookeran lost his seat in the 1991 elections.
He later became Senior Economist at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in 1948 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name...
(UNECLAC). He was also a member of the Executive Board of the Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
(IADB) and the governor of the Caribbean Development Bank
Caribbean Development Bank
The Caribbean Development Bank is a financial institution which assists Caribbean nations in financing social and economic programs in its member countries...
(CDB).
In July 1997 he was appointed as Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago is the central bank of Trinidad and Tobago.The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago is located in the Eric Williams Financial Complex. The complex consists of the central bank auditorium and two sky-scrapers, locally known as the twin towers...
. He held that post till 2002. Later that year he joined the United National Congress
United National Congress
The United National Congress is one of the two major political parties in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the parties in the current ruling coalition. It was founded by Basdeo Panday, a lawyer and former trade unionist. The UNC was formed as the result of a split in the ruling...
and won the St Augustine constituency. In October 2005 Dookeran succeeded Basdeo Panday
Basdeo Panday
Basdeo Panday was the 5th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001 and has served as Leader of the Opposition from 1976–1977, 1978–1986, 1989–1995 and 2001–2010. He was first elected to Parliament in 1976 as the Member for Couva North. He is the former...
as political leader of the United National Congress
United National Congress
The United National Congress is one of the two major political parties in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the parties in the current ruling coalition. It was founded by Basdeo Panday, a lawyer and former trade unionist. The UNC was formed as the result of a split in the ruling...
after being nominated by Panday unopposed. He would later form his own political party, the Congress of the People(COP), that in coalition with his former party would contest and win the May 2010 snap elections.
Dookeran was then appointed Minister of Finance for the new People's Partnership coalition government and has since begun a series of unpopular programs designed to jumpstart the stagnant economy. Many have complained that his slow decision-making and uncreative solutions, particularly in the face of the effective and rapid-fire decisions made in other nations to starve off economic contagion and reinvigorate private sector spending, has put the nation at further financial risk.
Publications
- Leadership and Governance in Small States. Getting Development Right, Co-edited with Akhil Malaki.
- Identities, State and Markets: Looking at Social Change in Latin AmericaLatin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. Edited by Jose Havet, published by Canadian Scholars’ Press, Inc., 1999. - The New Regionalism: Caribbean – Canada Trade Agenda. (co-authored with Miriam L. Campanella)
- The Caribbean Quest: Directions for Structural Reforms in a Global Economy. Guest joint editor, Special Issue Vol XXVIII: 1 –2, Nordic Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Published by The Institute of Latin American Studies, Stockholm University, 1999.
- Choices and Change: Reflections on the Caribbean. Published by the International Development Bank and Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
Press. July 1996.