
The Honourable Winston Dookeran
Mr. Winston Dookeran has always been a man with two callings: On the one side his career in Economics has taken him from UWI Lecturer, Central Bank Governor, to Senior Economist with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, to the Executive Board of the Inter-American Development Bank and Governor of the Caribbean Development Bank. His other calling is his passion for the good governance of Trinidad and Tobago, and he made his mark through the election process.
Mr. Dookeran was first elected to Parliament as an Opposition Member in 1981 representing the constituency of Chaguanas. In 1986, as a member of the National Alliance for Reconstruction in the 3rd Republican Parliament, Mr. Dookeran would again be successful at the polls and would hold ministerial office for five years. Following this, Mr. Dookeran pursued his professional endeavours, eventually being appointed Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago.
In 2002 Mr. Dookeran returned to active politics as a member of the United National Congress, when he contested and won the St. Augustine constituency and so became a member of the 8th Republican Parliament. Differences within the leadership of the UNC saw Mr. Dookeran leaving that party and assuming the role of political leader of another, the Congress of the People, which contested the General Election of 2007. Despite obtaining over 140,000 votes or almost 25 percent of the total number of votes cast, the Congress of the People failed to win a seat and was thus excluded from representation in the 9th Republican Parliament.
On May 24, 2010, Mr. Dookeran would again be successful at the polls, this time as the Member for Tunapuna, as part of the People's Partnership, an amalgamation of several political entities including the UNC and the COP. He was appointed Minister of Finance on May 28, 2010.
adapted from www.coptnt.com
View the Parliamentary Personality video of Mr. Dookeran: https://youtu.be/Dkns_gvcFHQ