kids encyclopedia robot

Roosevelt Skerrit facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Roosevelt Skerrit
Swearing in of His Excellency Charles A Savarin, DAH, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica (31312241638).jpg
Skerrit in 2014
6th Prime Minister of Dominica
Assumed office
8 January 2004
President Nicholas Liverpool
Eliud Williams
Charles Savarin
Sylvanie Burton
Deputy Ambrose George
Reginald Austrie
Irving McIntyre
Preceded by Pierre Charles
Member of Parliament
for Vieille Case
Assumed office
31 January 2000
Preceded by Vernice Bellony
Chairman of the Caribbean Community
Assumed office
1 July 2023
Secretary-General Carla Barnett
Preceded by Philip Davis
In office
1 January 2010 – 30 June 2010
Secretary-General Edwin Carrington
Preceded by Bharrat Jagdeo
Succeeded by Bruce Golding
Personal details
Born (1972-06-08) 8 June 1972 (age 51)
Princess Margaret Hospital, Roseau, Dominica
Political party Dominica Labour Party
Spouse
Melissa Poponne
(m. 2013)
Children 3
Alma mater New Mexico State University,
Las Cruces

University of Mississippi,
Oxford
Website Official website: http://www.rooseveltskerrit.org

Roosevelt Skerrit (born 8 June 1972) is a Dominican politician who has been Prime Minister of Dominica since 2004; he has also been the Member of Parliament for the Vieille Case constituency since 2000. Regionally, he has served as the chairman of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and most recently as chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in 2010. Skerrit is currently the longest-serving prime minister of Dominica.

Prime Minister

Roosevelt Skerrit, also known as "Roozey" by some of his closest family and friends, became Prime Minister after the death of Pierre Charles in January 2004. At the time of Pierre Charles’ death, Skerrit was Member of Parliament for the Vieille Case constituency, a position he had held since his election in February 2000. In addition to being the Prime Minister, he has also served as Minister for Finance since 2004, Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Affairs, and Minister for Foreign Affairs and is the political leader of the Dominica Labor Party.

Upon taking office Skerrit became the world's youngest head of government, surpassing Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With his party's May 2005 election victory, Skerrit became the world's first democratically elected national leader born in the 1970s. As of December 2010 Skerrit remained the youngest head of government in the Western Hemisphere and the third youngest in the world, surpassed only by Madagascar's Andry Rajoelina and Montenegro's Igor Lukšić.

In 2015, the Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng was arrested by the FBI. This was due to an ongoing UN bribery investigation. Skerrit was photographed with Ng shortly before the arrest. The Wall Street Journal stated that Ng told associates that he helped persuade Dominica to switch diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan. The opposition party scrutinized Skerrit on the matter. Skerrit informed them that the FBI was not interested in him.

A 2019, an Al Jazeera investigation alleged that Skerrit had been receiving money in exchange for diplomatic passports and ambassadorships.

RooseveltSkerrit
The current Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit

In December 2019, Skerrit won his fourth consecutive general election eighteen seats to three, becoming the first Dominica Prime Minister ever to do so.

On 1 July 2023. Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit assumed the chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He also chaired the meeting of the countries under the CARICOM and asked for the innovative ways to strengthen the region.

After the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, Skerrit called for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Roosevelt Skerrit para niños

kids search engine
Roosevelt Skerrit Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.