Tillman Joseph Thomas (born 13 June 1947
["Grenada has a new Prime Minister"]
, GrenadianConnection.com, July 9, 2008.) is a
Grenadian politician who served as
Prime Minister of Grenada
This is a list of heads of government of Grenada, from the establishment of the office of Chief Minister in 1960 to the present day.
The Prime Minister appoints the Cabinet of Grenada.
Heads of government before the 1974 independence
Chief m ...
from 2008 to 2013. He was the leader of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC) from 2000 to 2014.
Biography
Thomas was born in Hermitage,
St. Patrick
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
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* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
, Grenada.
[ He was among those imprisoned under Prime Minister ]Maurice Bishop
Maurice Rupert Bishop (29 May 1944 – 19 October 1983) was a Grenadian revolutionary and the leader of New Jewel Movement – a Marxist–Leninist party which sought to prioritise socio-economic development, education, and black liberation ...
["New Grenada prime minister vows to boost economy, lower cost of living"]
Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), July 9, 2008. for two years.[
Thomas is a graduate of New York's Fordham University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics, as well as the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus and the Hugh Wooding Law School where he completed a LL.B. and a Certificate of Legal Education respectively. His political career began in 1978, when he became involved in the Human Rights and Legal Aid Programme with the leader of the ]New Jewel Movement
The New Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation, or New JEWEL Movement (NJM), was a Marxist–Leninist vanguard party in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada that was led by Maurice Bishop.
Established in 1973, the NJM issued its ...
, Maurice Bishop
Maurice Rupert Bishop (29 May 1944 – 19 October 1983) was a Grenadian revolutionary and the leader of New Jewel Movement – a Marxist–Leninist party which sought to prioritise socio-economic development, education, and black liberation ...
.
In December 1984, Thomas was elected to the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
from St. Patrick East constituency, and from 1984 to 1990, he was a Junior Minister in the Ministry of Legal Affairs. In 1987, he was a founding member of the NDC, and from 1987 to 1990, he was the party's Assistant General Secretary. Thomas was defeated in St. Patrick East in the 1990 election, but he was, nevertheless, appointed as a Junior Minister in the Ministry of Labour. Subsequently, he was appointed as Minister in the Ministries of Works and Tourism.[
Following the NDC's defeat in the 1999 general election, in which it failed to win any seats, Thomas was elected as the party leader in October 2000. He won a House of Representatives seat in the November 2003 general election, along with six other members from his party; the NDC fell one seat short of a majority in the 15-seat House of Representatives. However, and the governing New National Party (NNP) won another term. Thomas became ]Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
in the House of Representatives of Grenada
The Parliament of Grenada is composed of the monarch and two chambers: Senate and the House of Representatives. It operates from the New Parliament Building in St. George's.
Structure
Parliament consists of the King, represented by the Gove ...
in early December 2003.
After spending 13 years in opposition,[ the NDC won the ]general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
held on 8 July 2008, taking 11 out of 15 seats and defeating the NNP.[George Worme]
"Thomas wins by a landslide in Grenada"
''The Nation'' (Barbados), July 10, 2008. Thomas himself was elected from St. Patrick East constituency.
, Caribbean Net News, July 10, 2008. On 9 July Thomas was sworn in as Prime Minister[ at the Grenada Trade Centre in Grand Anse, St. George's by Governor-General Daniel Williams.][ Speaking on this occasion, he promised "openness and transparency" of government as well as " he practice ofthe politics of inclusion".][
Thomas's cabinet, composed of 17 members, was sworn in at the National Stadium on 13 July 2008. In addition to being Prime Minister, Thomas took the portfolios of ]Foreign Affairs
''Foreign Affairs'' is an American magazine of international relations and U.S. foreign policy published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and ...
, Legal Affairs, National Security, Information, and Public Administration. Two members of non-governmental organizations who were not affiliated with the NDC were included in the cabinet: Franka Bernadine
Franka Bernadine is a politician from the island of Grenada. She served as Grenada's Minister of Education and Human Resources. From 3 November 2019 until 31 October 2021 she was the Leader of the National Democratic Congress (Grenada)
T ...
as Minister of Education and Human Resources, and Jimmy Bristol
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as Attorney-General.
After nearly five years in power, the NDC suffered a crushing defeat in the February 2013 general election, losing all of its seats, including the seat held by Thomas. The opposition NNP won all 15 seats, and Keith Mitchell
Keith Claudius Mitchell (born 12 November 1946) is a Grenadian politician who served as Prime Minister of Grenada from 1995 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2022. He is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Grenadian history, holding the office for more ...
returned to the office as Prime Minister. In the wake of the defeat, Thomas said at an interview that he was willing to stand aside as the party leader: "Once somebody comes forward, I am prepared to let that person take over the responsibility of leadership of the party".
Thomas was succeeded as the NDC's political leader by Nazim Burke
Nazim Burke (born September 1956) is a politician & Opposition Leader from the island of Carriacou which is part of the tri island state of Grenada. He was born in Belair Carriacou as Victor Gordon Burke and changed his name to Victor Nazim Gordo ...
, former deputy political leader and Minister of Finance of Grenada
The Ministry of Finance is a government ministry of Grenada responsible for the management of public finances, economic planning and budgeting.
Ministers of Finance
See also
*Government of Grenada
*Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
*Economy of Gre ...
, in early 2014.
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Tillman
1945 births
Foreign ministers of Grenada
Grenadian prisoners and detainees
Living people
Members of the House of Representatives of Grenada
National Democratic Congress (Grenada) politicians
Prime Ministers of Grenada
Prisoners and detainees of Grenada
People from Saint Patrick Parish, Grenada
Tourism ministers of Grenada
21st-century Grenadian politicians