THE DOMINICAN.NET GALLERY OF A THOUSAND WORDS

The Prime Ministers of Dominica

Go to: Roosevelt B. Douglas (February - October 2000) Roosie Douglas would become one of two Prime Ministers to die in office within the space of four years. Douglas was born in Portsmouth on October 15, 1941. He emigrated to canada in the 1960's and studied agriculture at Ontario Agricultural College and then Political Science and Economy at Sir George Williams University, Montreal. In 1969 he led an anti-racism sit-in at Sir George Williams, which led to the occupation of the computer centre and its destruction when police broke up the protest. Charged with arson, Douglas served 18 months in prison before been released and deported. In 1985 he was elected to parliament and became leader of the Dominica Labour Party in 1992. He served as Leader of the Opposition in 1995 before forming a coalition government with the Dominica freedom Party on 1 February 2000. Douglas inspired countless Dominicans with visions of a brighter future. His communist rhetoric of the seventies and eighties gave way to an inclusive style of government, while maintaining close links with Cuba and Libya. On February 1, 2000, he died suddenly at his home after returning from a six-week overseas mission.