Remembering the late PM Pierre Charles (June 30, 1954 – January 6, 2004)

Late Prime Minister Pierre Charles
Late Prime Minister Pierre Charles

Today, January 6, marks the anniversary of the death of Pierre Charles who served as Dominica’s Prime Minister from 2000 to 2004.

Charles was Member of Parliament for Grand Bay from 1985 until his death.

He was born in Grand Bay and began his high school education at the Dominica Grammar School. He went to the St. Mary’s Academy before continuing his studies at the teacher’s college. He served as a teacher and community organizer before entering politics.

In 1979 at 25, was appointed a Senator in parliament.

In 1985 he contested the general elections on a Dominica Labour Party (DLP) ticket and won, although the DLP lost the election to the Eugenia Charles-led Dominica Freedom Party (DFP).

He remained MP of that constituency for 15 years.

When the DLP, in coalition with the DFP, came to power in 2000 under Rosie Douglas, Charles was made Minister for Public Works and Communications. During the eight months of Douglas’ tenure as PM, Charles was often called upon to function as the acting Prime Minister.

When Douglas suddenly died in October 2000, Charles succeeded him.

He became ill in February 2003, and had angioplasty surgery.

Despite this, he continued to serve as prime minister until his death but he did take a medical leave of absence, during which, Osborne Riviere acted as Prime Minister.

Upon return from his medical leave of absence, Charles succumbed to a heart attack while being driven home from a Cabinet meeting.

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25 Comments

  1. Unknown
    January 7, 2016

    Rituals is all over those two deaths of Rosie Douglas and Pierre Charles. All in the darkness have slowly started coming to light. Too bad the people of Dominica are too blind to see the light. God is always watching.

  2. bigger
    January 7, 2016

    All you UWPITES are a bunch of hypocrites your present leader disrespected this hero of mine by saying that how he is going to feel in the presence of DR.Denzil Douglas and all these qualified men where the only certificate he has is a birth certificate only to find out that he has no certificate at all. It is so shameful to see one of our Big brains in Dominica Dr Liverpool was verbally brutalized by Lennox Linton calling him a BLACK COUNTRY BOOKEY FROM GRANDBAY please people can this guy be a leader of a country

    • %
      January 7, 2016

      Go dump your garbage at La Bass! Do you know who took a chair or chairs at St Joseph to batter Pierro to death? Who vowed never to contest another election with Pierro as PM? Go do your research!!!! IT’S NOT HONOURABLE LINTON AT ALL!!!!

  3. January 7, 2016

    Pierre kept Tony looking in thru a window; he told the $1.5 million passport money on gas station guy that he is not invited to cabinet meeting. Pierre was a real Laborite. He understood the struggle that the party went thru after the destruction by Charless Saverin. Pierre intended to have the party lead by Riviera another true Laborite but as soon as Pierre close his eye the existing crooks stumped on Riviera Neck and double cross him. Why because they had already ask the China man to do the ting. No more said

  4. family
    January 7, 2016

    I looked up to you as a man of integrity. .A lovely father, brother and uncle..You severed Dominica and Dominicans well…In spite of your endless efforts to encourage Dominicans to make Dominica a better place , you have always questions the mentally of your people. As, you often said that they wear ignorance as a barge of honour. Too ignorant to understand the importance of patriotism and the need for justice and fairness. That greed will eventually destroy a nation development. I just wish you were here…to defend Dominica from all the …. affairs that these so called ministers of Government are doing…They do not stand for the principles that Governs the real Labour party…as far as I concerns. .. I do hope that the people do not forget the embarrassment and humiliation that this same skerrite cause you…The people who were meant to support you stab you in the back..But whatever a man sow..so shall he reap

  5. Enfantpauve
    January 7, 2016

    Continuing diplomatic relations with Taiwan ,began by Eugenia Charles and Charles Maynard in 1983 and used by UWP to fund their “too patooism” policies, was completely out of the question for any serious and progressive Third World country. DLP should have established diplomatic relations with the PRC from January 2000. If Roosie Douglas was serious about governance and development he would have announced the break with Taiwan in his first address to the nation. But, alas, he was compromised . One of his sons was studying in Taiwan and the beneficiary of full scholarship and other benefits from the Government of Taiwan. The full story will be told as new biographies are published. The PRC relations has served Dominica well notwithstanding the fundamental mismanagement of that relationship.

  6. Shameless
    January 7, 2016

    Pierro and Roosie will always be remembered for their honesty and humility while those who replaced them will be remembered for their ……… dishonesty. I still can’t believe that the current Grand Bay MP can walk around so proudly after knowing what some of the cabalists did to Comrade Pierro. But, God is still good all the time even when a majority of us continue to SOUSAY SEL :twisted:

    RIP Comrade, RIP.
    Assertive, NEVER Aggressive! :twisted:

  7. January 6, 2016

    Perro must be turning in his grave

  8. January 6, 2016

    who caused pierro’s death? ask mcbeth. RIP fallen hero.

  9. For real
    January 6, 2016

    Dominicans, never forget, always remember the grave, treacherous act that was committed against the country and its people?

    Never forget that Pierro was PM at the time when one of his own Cabinet Minister, secretly went to Barbados where he met with some Chinese reps? Pierro was disrespected Big time. Dominica had relations with Taiwan. Not wanting to rock-the-boat of the ruling DLP Gov’t, the late PM still allowed that distrustful person among his ranks.

    As soon as Skerritt became PM, he switched over foreign relations to mainland China. Buzz word,’One China policy.’ Whom did the person meet?

    Well, recently, it was revealed that NG Lap Seng was instrumental in that whole establishing of foreign relations with China. The news all over the world. Dominicans never knew about that. Pierro never knew what was going on as PM re. the initial secret meetings and links. Stressed

    Where were they when Pierro stretched out his hand? Shame on those who dare to…

  10. True Laborite
    January 6, 2016

    Skerrit should have organized a memorial service today in memory of his very good and well loved friend, Pierre Charles. Naming the airport after him and Rosie is not enough to demonstrate his love for the late PM’s. He really loved them and labor boy

  11. January 6, 2016

    When he was alive he was treated the same way that Skeritt is now been treated by the UWP. So UWP supporters like % and too late let the man rest in peace and stop your hypocritical comments.

  12. out of south city
    January 6, 2016

    Lon lives the spirit of a great leader, person, husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin and friend. We, in South City, will never forget who you were and the contributions you made to your country and village. You spirit truly is among us.
    PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. GrandBayrian
    January 6, 2016

    Hahahaha, I know the member, his days will come, What goes around comes around!

  14. Tampa
    January 6, 2016

    Pierro was one of the best- grassroots, humble, committed, caring. He was not corrupt and the people of Dominica trusted him. We forget that he was the one who took on the responsibility to rebuild the branches of the DLP after Mike’s death. I do not think that the government gives him the credit that he deserves.

    May his spirit guide us through this extremely turbulent period that our country is going through.

  15. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    January 6, 2016

    “Charles was Member of Parliament for Grand Bay from 1985 until his death.”

    Yes, but what did he accomplish during the years he served as Prime Minister, or sit in the parliament?

    The only thing he was very successful, and highly instrumental in accomplishing, was the shutting down of the International Airport the UWP was building, and ensured that he chased the contractors, and engineers from Trinidad out of Dominica. He was one of them who claimed that they could build an International Airport for a fraction of what Edison James was spending to build it.

    When the UWP was building the airport, it cost less than four hundred million dollars. However, prior to the last election Skerrit informed the people of Marigot that it will now cost more than a billion dollars to build.

    It appears, as if Charles was proudly wearing his Dominica badge of honor on his forehead then. ” Dominicans ware their stupidity on their forehead as a badge of honor.”( The late Pierre Charles).

    • The UK Contingent
      January 7, 2016

      Geeze. Is there no end to your “silly old goat ” mentality??

      • If you that pile of garbage are referring to me, rather than writing such foolishness, let us see you write something intelligent to counter, or contradicts anything I submit on DNO!

        The more fart you blow, is the more you expose your ignorance; and stupidity! Insult has no effect, people like you are a walk over in the dirt for someone like me; you are beneath me intellectually, you are nothing, and if you wish to prove me wrong on that write a comment on something essential let’s see your intelligence. You have no identification, you are less than human, since even things and animals has names, how do you identify yourself ” UK contingent.”

        I am now going to shame you by exposing your stupidity: ‘Contingent’ means a representative group or a delegation, or detachment, if you are an individual how can you be a UK contingent? I can horrify you a bit more by telling you the word can be defined as likely but not certain to happening I think education in England is still…

  16. %
    January 6, 2016

    Pierro as Pm would have dismissed many of the GREEDIES from the DLP!

    • January 6, 2016

      For sure he would, especially the ones who went behind his back and betrayed him, they know themselves, no name no warrant, according to the senior councilor. RIP Pierro, gone but will never be forgotten

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      January 10, 2016

      He did not dismiss Skerrit, when Skerrit disrespected him and went over his head to the Chines embassy in Barbados, asking to establish diplomatic relations with China, without the knowledge of Charles.

      The Chines informed Skerrit they could not entertain desires since he was not the Prime Minister of Dominica, Pierre Charles was as incompetent as Skerrit and all of them!

      You simply don’t know, or you are pretending not to know that!

  17. too late
    January 6, 2016

    Is there a current member of this administration who went to Barbados to meet with Chinese with out the knowledge and approval of Pierro? Did a member also lift a chair and put Pierro under tremendous pressure by threatening to resign and so on?

    • me
      January 6, 2016

      Yes mr. Skerrit threathen to resign. One even slammed a door in his face. Some of them acting like they forget. They applied excess pressure on the man because the knew his health weakened him. RIP pierro.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      January 6, 2016

      I know everybody else will e afraid to answer that; but the Wesley kid has no fear, I am not afraid of the man the one and only illustrious Mountain Chicken Crapo Mentality Roosevelt Skerrit who undermined Charles, when he went to ( as he say to get help from China man government. oui).

      I heard he was told “boy go home we doh can do business wid you until you are prime minister eh! The same another one of them came on a crooked deal looking for free money, from a none existing bank, when the sucker got caught, he told Dominicans he went to America to look for help for Dominica.

      Charles had no idea that this former washed up old politician cane here looking fro a none existent bank for help oui! And nobody can say I lie because when Charles wonted to know if such a bank exists he called his little friend from Grand Bay in Canada to investigate, his friend who is my friend called me, and we went to work investigating, only to find out no such bank existed.

      The are all cut…

  18. True Laborite
    January 6, 2016

    WOW!!! Was this planned or just coincidental? I mean on todays date the last real Labor Party Prime Minister died, which paved the way for Roosevelt Skerrit (I remember a politician was on the streets of Grandbay during the death of Pierro shouting “heepeep hurray” while the rest of us were mourning; On this same day the first labor party Prime Minister is fighting for his life and a so called labor party government so far, afte more than 30 days in hospital still cannot fly him out for medical treatment? True laborites like myself hate to remember todays date not just because of the death of one of our heros but most importatly, the failure of a so-called larty government to investigate the true cause of his death as well as the death of Rosie Douglas. I can hear their voice of their blood crying on the streets of Dominica louder than the blood of Cain

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