Denzil Douglas Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis Date of Birth: 14.01.1953 Country: Saint Kitts

Biography of Denzil Douglas

Denzil Llewellyn Douglas, the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and the leader of the local Labour Party, was born on January 14, 1953, in the village of St. Paul on the northern part of the island. He began his political career in the youth wing of the Labour Party.

In 1977, Douglas received a bachelor's degree from the University of the West Indies, and seven years later, he obtained a medical degree. After studying at the St. Kitts and Nevis Medical College, Denzil Douglas started his private practice as a family doctor while still pursuing his political ambitions.

In the late 1980s, he became the leader of the medical association of St. Kitts and Nevis and was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Labour Party Board in 1987. Following the parliamentary elections in 1989, Denzil Douglas entered the National Assembly of the country as the representative for the St. Christopher district and became the leader of the main opposition forces as the leader of the Labour Party.

After a resounding victory of his party in the parliamentary elections in 1995, Douglas replaced Kennedy Simmonds as the Prime Minister. He continued to receive the majority support of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis in the subsequent elections in March 2000 and October 2005. As the leader of the country, Denzil Douglas actively participates in the work of international organizations in the region, including the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Caribbean Development Bank, the Association of Caribbean States, and the Organization of American States.

Denzil Douglas made history as the first Caribbean leader to receive the prestigious Ghandi-King-Ikeda Peace Award. He was also honored by the American Foundation of the University of the West Indies in New York. For his active work in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, Michael Bloomberg, businessman and former mayor of New York, as well as George Bush and Bill Clinton, have recognized the contributions of Denzil Douglas. He also heads the CARICOM Council on HIV/AIDS in the region.