Portia Simpson-Miller
Encyclopedia
Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller, ON
, MP
(born 12 December 1945 in Wood Hall
, St. Catherine Parish
) is Jamaica's Leader of the Opposition
and was the country's seventh Prime Minister from 30 March 2006 to 11 September 2007. She was Jamaica
's first female Prime Minister.
Mrs Simpson-Miller is also a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
, becoming the first female head of government of the nation and the third in the Anglophone Caribbean following Eugenia Charles
of Dominica
and Janet Jagan
of Guyana
. She also holds the position of president of the opposition People's National Party
.
In the PNP's internal vote to elect Patterson's successor, held on 26 February 2006, she received 1,775 votes, while her nearest rival, national security minister Dr. Peter Phillips, took 1,538 votes (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4752192.stm). She was only able to garner approximately 47% of the delegates' vote, making her the first PNP president to be elected by less than half of eligible delegates.
Simpson-Miller had been the Minister of Local Government and Sport since October 2002. She had previously served as Minister of Labour, Welfare and Sports from 1989 to 1993, when she re-entered parliament
for South West St. Andrew
, the PNP having boycotted the elections called in 1983; she was first elected, for that constituency, in 1976. She was Minister of Labour and Welfare from 1993 to 1995, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sports from 1995 to February 2000, and Minister of Tourism and Sports from February 2000 to October 2002. Her ministerial portfolios have been characterised by allegations of mismanagement and corruption. This came to the fore during the very bitter presidential campaign. She was a Vice President of the PNP from 1978 to 2006. In appointing her first cabinet following her swearing-in, she also assumed the portfolio of defence minister
.
In July 2008, Simpson-Miller had been challenged for the Presidency of the People's National Party
by her former rival, Dr. Peter Phillips. The election was held among the party's delegates on September 20. She has been re-elected as the head of the PNP for her second consecutive year, defeating Phillips by an even wider margin that that of the previous election.
Simpson-Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts
in public administration
from Union Institute & University
, a private college specializing in distance learning programs. She has since been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Union Institute & University.
retaining 27 seats against the rival Jamaican Labour Party's 33 seats.
This margin was revised to 32-28 after recounts. This margin might still be revised pending an election petition decision concerning the eligibility of a government MP who has dual citizenship.
Simpson-Miller's loss can in part be attributed to a well planned and executed campaign by the JLP. A part of The JLP’s campaign strategy was a media blitz that claimed to highlight 18 years of neglect under the PNP and the incompetence of Simpson-Miller as a leader.
One ad highlighted the deplorable conditions in Mrs. Simpson-Miller’s own constituency of South St. Andrew, while others were created from controversial interviews and still others discussed issues surrounding her competence as a leader.
Simpson-Miller initially refused to concede defeat alleging voting irregularities and the possibility that recounts would change the final result. The Organization of American States
issued a statement declaring the election free and fair. "I believe this election can stand international scrutiny," said OAS assistant secretary-general Albert Ramdin who led a team of international observers who monitored the election.http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6896322,00.html She conceded defeat on September 5.http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/253363 On September 11, Simpson Miller was succeeded as Prime Minister by JLP leader Bruce Golding
.
of Cable & Wireless Jamaica Ltd.
On 29 May 2006 she was vested with the Jamaican Order of the Nation
, giving her (and her husband) the style "The Most Honourable".http://www.jis.gov.jm/officePM/html/20060526T090000-0500_8954_JIS_PM_TO_BE_CONFERRED_WITH_ORDER_OF_THE_NATION_TODAY.asp
Order of the Nation
The Order of the Nation is a Jamaican honour. It is a part of the Jamaican honours system and was instituted in 1973 as the second highest honour in the country–the Order of National Hero being the highest....
, MP
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,...
(born 12 December 1945 in Wood Hall
Wood Hall
Wood Hall is a town in St. Catherine Parish, Jamaica. Past Prime Minister of Jamaica Portia Simpson-Miller was born in Wood Hall in 1945....
, St. Catherine Parish
Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica
St Catherine is a parish located in the south east of Jamaica. It is located in the county of Middlesex, and is one of the island's largest and most economically valued parish because of its many resources. It includes the first capital of Jamaica, Spanish Town, originally known as San Jago de la...
) is Jamaica's Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government...
and was the country's seventh Prime Minister from 30 March 2006 to 11 September 2007. She was Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
's first female Prime Minister.
Mrs Simpson-Miller is also a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
Council of Women World Leaders
The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of current and former women prime ministers and presidents established in 1996 by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and first woman in the world to be democratically elected president, and Laura Liswood, Secretary General...
, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
Political career
She replaced outgoing Prime Minister P. J. PattersonP. J. Patterson
Percival Noel James Patterson, ON, QC, PC, O.E., was the sixth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1992 to 2006. Until February 2006 he was the leader of the Jamaican People's National Party . The new PNP leader, Portia Simpson-Miller, took over as Prime Minister on 30 March 2006...
, becoming the first female head of government of the nation and the third in the Anglophone Caribbean following Eugenia Charles
Eugenia Charles
Dame Mary Eugenia Charles, DBE was Prime Minister of Dominica from 21 July 1980 until 14 June 1995. She was Dominica's first, and to date only, female prime minister, as well as the nation's longest serving prime minister...
of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
and Janet Jagan
Janet Jagan
Janet Jagan was an American-born socialist politician who was President of Guyana from December 19, 1997, to August 11, 1999. She previously served as Prime Minister of Guyana from March 17, 1997, to December 19, 1997....
of Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
. She also holds the position of president of the opposition People's National Party
People's National Party
The People's National Party is a social democratic and social liberal Jamaican political party, founded by Norman Manley in 1938. It is the oldest political party in the Anglophone Caribbean and one of the main two political parties in Jamaica. Out of the two major parties, it is considered more...
.
In the PNP's internal vote to elect Patterson's successor, held on 26 February 2006, she received 1,775 votes, while her nearest rival, national security minister Dr. Peter Phillips, took 1,538 votes (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4752192.stm). She was only able to garner approximately 47% of the delegates' vote, making her the first PNP president to be elected by less than half of eligible delegates.
Simpson-Miller had been the Minister of Local Government and Sport since October 2002. She had previously served as Minister of Labour, Welfare and Sports from 1989 to 1993, when she re-entered parliament
Parliament of Jamaica
The Parliament of Jamaica is the legislative branch of the government of Jamaica. It is a bicameral body, composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives....
for South West St. Andrew
Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Saint Andrew is a parish, situated in the southeast of Jamaica in the county of Surrey. It lies north, west and east of Kingston, and stretches into the Blue Mountains and at the 2001 census had the highest population of all the parishes in Jamaica. The Right Excellent George William Gordon Saint...
, the PNP having boycotted the elections called in 1983; she was first elected, for that constituency, in 1976. She was Minister of Labour and Welfare from 1993 to 1995, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sports from 1995 to February 2000, and Minister of Tourism and Sports from February 2000 to October 2002. Her ministerial portfolios have been characterised by allegations of mismanagement and corruption. This came to the fore during the very bitter presidential campaign. She was a Vice President of the PNP from 1978 to 2006. In appointing her first cabinet following her swearing-in, she also assumed the portfolio of defence minister
Defence minister
A defence minister is a person in a cabinet position in charge of a Ministry of Defence, which regulates the armed forces in some sovereign nations...
.
In July 2008, Simpson-Miller had been challenged for the Presidency of the People's National Party
People's National Party
The People's National Party is a social democratic and social liberal Jamaican political party, founded by Norman Manley in 1938. It is the oldest political party in the Anglophone Caribbean and one of the main two political parties in Jamaica. Out of the two major parties, it is considered more...
by her former rival, Dr. Peter Phillips. The election was held among the party's delegates on September 20. She has been re-elected as the head of the PNP for her second consecutive year, defeating Phillips by an even wider margin that that of the previous election.
Simpson-Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
from Union Institute & University
Union Institute & University
Union Institute & University is a non-profit private college, specializing in limited residence and distance learning programs. With the main campus in Cincinnati, Union Institute & University operates -from Ohio- "satellite campuses" located in Montpelier, Vermont; Brattleboro, Vermont; North...
, a private college specializing in distance learning programs. She has since been awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Union Institute & University.
2007 Elections
On September 3, 2007 her party narrowly lost the 2007 general electionJamaican general election, 2007
General elections in Jamaica were held on September 3, 2007. They had originally been scheduled for August 27, 2007 but were delayed due to Hurricane Dean. The preliminary results indicated a slim victory for the opposition Jamaican Labour Party led by Bruce Golding, which grew by two seats from...
retaining 27 seats against the rival Jamaican Labour Party's 33 seats.
This margin was revised to 32-28 after recounts. This margin might still be revised pending an election petition decision concerning the eligibility of a government MP who has dual citizenship.
Simpson-Miller's loss can in part be attributed to a well planned and executed campaign by the JLP. A part of The JLP’s campaign strategy was a media blitz that claimed to highlight 18 years of neglect under the PNP and the incompetence of Simpson-Miller as a leader.
One ad highlighted the deplorable conditions in Mrs. Simpson-Miller’s own constituency of South St. Andrew, while others were created from controversial interviews and still others discussed issues surrounding her competence as a leader.
Simpson-Miller initially refused to concede defeat alleging voting irregularities and the possibility that recounts would change the final result. The Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
issued a statement declaring the election free and fair. "I believe this election can stand international scrutiny," said OAS assistant secretary-general Albert Ramdin who led a team of international observers who monitored the election.http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6896322,00.html She conceded defeat on September 5.http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/253363 On September 11, Simpson Miller was succeeded as Prime Minister by JLP leader Bruce Golding
Bruce Golding
Orette Bruce Golding MP served as Prime Minister of Jamaica from 11 September 2007 to 23 October 2011. He is a member of the Jamaica Labour Party.-Biography:...
.
Personal life
Simpson-Miller is married to The Most Honourable Errald Miller, formerly CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Cable & Wireless Jamaica Ltd.
On 29 May 2006 she was vested with the Jamaican Order of the Nation
Order of the Nation
The Order of the Nation is a Jamaican honour. It is a part of the Jamaican honours system and was instituted in 1973 as the second highest honour in the country–the Order of National Hero being the highest....
, giving her (and her husband) the style "The Most Honourable".http://www.jis.gov.jm/officePM/html/20060526T090000-0500_8954_JIS_PM_TO_BE_CONFERRED_WITH_ORDER_OF_THE_NATION_TODAY.asp
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZA-rwGYlo
- Official profile
- Extended profile
- Profile from the Jamaica Gleaner
- "It's Portia", 26 February 2006, Jamaica ObserverThe Jamaica ObserverThe Jamaica Observer is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The paper is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, The Gleaner. It's founding editor is Desmond Allen who is currently its executive editor -...
. - "PNP's First Female President", 26 February 2006, The GleanerThe GleanerThe Gleaner may mean:*The Gleaner Company in Jamaica, publishers of the newspapers Daily Gleaner and Sunday Gleaner.*The Daily Gleaner, newspaper published in the Canadian province of New Brunswick....
- http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/html/20061106t190000-0500_114973_obs_death_in_the_arena_.asp