Basdeo Panday
Basdeo Panday was the fifth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001 he also served as Leader of the Opposition from 19761977, 19781986, 19891995, 20012006 and 20072010. He was first elected to Parliament in 1976 as the Member for Couva North. He is the former Chairman and party leader of the Opposition United National Congress. In 2006, Panday was convicted of failing to declare a bank account in London and imprisoned but as of March 20, 2007, that conviction has been quashed by the Court of Appeal. He was granted bail on Aprilpending the outcome of his appeal due to his health condition and the poor state of health facilities at the Arouca prison. On Mayhe decided to resign as Chairman of the United National Congress, but the partys executive refuse to accept his resignation. However, he lost the partys internal elections on January 24, 2010 to Deputy Leader and current Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar by a large margin.
He was born in Princes Town, Trinidad, to Harry Chote Sookchand and Kissoondaye Panday, who were both firstgeneration East Indian Arrivants to Trinidad. Kissondayes mother, along with her mother, came on the trip via Fiji . Sookchands Uncle, Joseph Hardath Dube was the General Secretary of the East Indian National Association, and was responsible for enrolling Panday in Presentation College, San Fernando. Before the college enrollment, Basdeo attended New Grant Government and St. Julien C.M. School.
Source: Wikipedia