Max: Portia a Caribbean woman

Noting that Caribbean history is full of many cases where women have played the dual role of mother and father in pushing “our societies upward and forward”, the President said Simpson-Miller provided living testimony to this historical fact.

“You are a product of this environment and not by chance, you have assumed the mantle of leadership in more ways than one,” Richards told the Jamaican PM.

The President said Simpson-Miller possessed leadership qualities that would not only uplift the women of Jamaica but “the women of the region as well.” He added that the new Jamaican PM was “borne on the shoulder of a most worthy predecessor” in the late Dame Eugenia Charles, former prime minister of Dominica. Richards said he was also pleased that Simpson-Miller shared a strong background in education as he did and was confident that she too shared the view that education was critical “to shaping a society where the highest ethical principles are evident.”

He added that the Jamaican PM brought a new style of leadership to Caricom during a period of regional transition to face globalisation.

Simpson-Miller departed for Jamaica yesterday, after completing a three-day State visit to TT. The main highlight of her visit was completing an agreement with Prime Minister Patrick Manning for TT to supply LNG to Jamaica’s bauxite industry and Jamaica’s participation in the establishment of an aluminum complex in this country. The Jamaican PM offered to assist TT’s infrastructure programme in the area of port development.