Edison Chenfil James (born 18 October 1943) is a Dominican politician who was the prime minister of Dominica from June 14, 1995, to February 3, 2000, as nicely because the member of parliament for the Marigot constituency from 1990. He graduated from the Dominica Grammar College. Trying to extend the variety of stay-over visitors to the island, the UWP government sought to build an international airport, however this was once more met with a cacophony of criticism as some thought that the nation would not have the ability to pay back the debt which would have had to be contracted. Dominica’s other two major parties, the Dominica Freedom Party and the Dominica Labour Get together, had agreed to a co-operation agreement to win the election and it was no surprise once they made a coalition against the Staff’ Party. The opposition was also aroused to indignation by the federal government’s decision to offer asylum to the Saudi dissident Mohammad al-Massari, a decision which James later admitted was based on a hope of increased British help. James has been active in regional cricket as an administrator and was the manager of the Windward Islands cricket staff and the Mixed Islands cricket group. In July 2007, he ceded the workplace to Williams. A February 2007 poll conducted by Caribbean Development Research Companies Inc (CADRES) found that, though he’s not chief of the United Staff’ Party, he nonetheless enjoyed appreciable help. By then, the banana trade was now not vibrant and so the James-led authorities embarked on an formidable program of financial diversification. Fontaine, Thomson (23 October 2011). “Dominican passports and the profiteers of disgrace”. He was instrumental in resuscitating the island’s vital banana industry which had been decimated by Hurricane David. Textual content is accessible underneath the Inventive Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License; further terms might apply. It handed laws allowing the creation of off-shore business. James’ authorities did produce some significant achievements. As chief of the opposition, he criticized the ruling Dominica Freedom Party for instituting an economic-citizen programme whereby persons may turn into residents of the island for a charge. By using this site, you comply with the Phrases of Use and Privateness Policy. There was some success in diversifying the island’s monocrop agricultural sector away from bananas and towards other crops. Within the May 2005 elections, the occasion conducted a vigorous campaign but it misplaced one seat in parliament. The Courier. 140 – via New Zealand Digital Library. James was changed as prime minister by Roosevelt Douglas. A fee formed to analyze the matter concluded that the allegations have been baseless. The federal government was additionally pilloried for the economic citizenship program which it had re-engineered and enlarged when it came into office; some thought that the island could develop into a haven for criminal parts. In 1988, he headed a committee which based the United Employees’ Celebration and became its first political chief. Although it gained probably the most votes as a block, the get together lost three seats and its majority in parliament. It additionally increased public spending on capital initiatives including roads, colleges and sea partitions. He worked in quite a lot of local and regional establishments including the Caribbean Improvement Bank, nevertheless it was as manager of the Dominica Banana Marketing Company that he rose to prominence on the island. This web page was final edited on eleven July 2024, at 16:48 (UTC). Within the January 2000 elections, the party suffered a surprise defeat. He was sued for libel by Eugenia Charles on account of the bugging allegations; he agreed to compensate as well as to publicly apologise to Dame Eugenia. 32% of respondents favored his management, compared to 58% for the prime minister, Skerrit, and 6% for the present United Workers’ Social gathering chief, Williams. He’s a member of the Rotary Club. Within the run-as much as the 1995 elections, James accused the Eugenia Charles-led government of bugging his social gathering’s places of work. When the UWP authorities divested its shares within the island’s only power company, the transfer was met with vociferous condemnation by the opposition. James continued as leader of the opposition. No get together won enough seats to kind a government on its own. There was a proliferation within the number of scholarships accessible for secondary and college schooling. On June 12, 1995, elections he led the get together to victory with 11 out of 21 seats with fewer votes than the incumbent Freedom Social gathering and turned prime minister. This kind of financial program was branded “tou-pas-touism”, a Creole word which means “in all places”. Nonetheless, in December 2005, he didn’t seek re-election as get together chief and he was replaced by Earl Williams. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit group. The federal government purchased the requisite lands for the airport however didn’t have time to physically start the project. The James-led government was dogged by prices of corruption and these allegations only increased as its term progressed. James was president of the UWP for 3 years, after which was re-elected political leader of the social gathering at its January 2012 convention. Feeling confident together with his government’s achievements, James known as a snap election six months before it have been due with the intention to quell the allegations of corruption. From its inception, the get together was assailed as a gaggle of “disgruntled businessmen” or “greedy businessmen” as described by the established parties however, in 1990, the party gained six seats within the 21 seat Home of Meeting and James grew to become the Chief of the Opposition. These projects had a visible affect on the economic system and the economy grew every year underneath his management. In addition, it sought to allow an Australian mining firm to conduct exploratory drilling on the island but that transfer was subsequently abandoned as a result of criticisms that it would sully the island’s popularity as “The nature Isle”. R.D.B. (July-August 1993). “Interview with Edison James, Leader of the Opposition”. In February 2000, James returned to the workplace of leader of the opposition. He has a BSc diploma in botany from the University of East London, a MSc degree in biochemistry from the University of Reading and a post graduate diploma in crop protection know-how from Imperial School. However, the opposition argued that the growing economic system was solely being financed by debt. Again in opposition, he known as on the government to prosecute the charges of corruption in order to clear his get together’s name, but the federal government never charged any members of his party with wrongdoing. This criticism was fuelled by the revelation that the Australian fugitive Christopher Skase had used the programme to grow to be a citizen of the island. In July 2005, he was appointed to the CARICOM leaders of authorities and parliamentary opposition parties committee.