Throwback Wednesday!! Happy Birthday Edward Seaga Edward Philip George Seaga /siˈɑːɡə/ (born 28 May 1930), ON PC is a politician and statesman; he was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1980 to 1989, and Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005 He served as leader of the opposition from 1974 to 1980, and again from 1989 until January 2005. His retirement from political life marked the end of Jamaicas founding generation in active politics; he was the last serving politician to have entered public life before independence in 1962, as he was appointed to the Legislative Council (now the Senate) in 1959. Seaga is credited with building the financial and planning infrastructure of the country after independence, as well as developing its arts and crafts, and awareness of national heritage. As a record producer and record company owner, Seaga also played a major role in the development of the Jamaican music industry. Early life Edward Philip George Seaga was born on May 28, 1930, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Philip George Seaga and Erna (née Maxwell), Jamaican parents of Lebanese and Scottish-Indian-African descent, respectively .His parents returned to Jamaica with Edward when the boy was three months old. He was baptised in Kingstons Anglican Parish Church on December 5, 1930. Erna was the daughter of Elizabeth Campbell (maiden name), daughter of John Zungaroo Campbell (East Indian descent) and Elizabeth Heron (Scottish), both with African descent as well. The young Seaga was educated at Wolmer’s Boys’ School in Jamaica. He went to the United States for college, graduating from Harvard University in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts (Harvard AB) degree in the Social Sciences Before he began his political career Edward Sega was a music producer and promoter. He subsequently took a research post at the University of the West Indies. Music industry career Seagas research led to an interest in popular Jamaican music. In 1955, he supervised the recording of an album of ethnic Jamaican music. He continued to produce recordings by other artists and in the late 1950s set up West India Records Limited (WIRL), releasing early recordings by artists such as Higgs and Wilson and Byron Lee & the Dragonaires.[Beginning in 1961, Seaga lived in West Kingston. He became deeply involved in its music scene and recorded some of its artists. WIRL became the most successful record company in the West Indies. After being elected in 1962 as a Member of Parliament, representing the Jamaica Labour Party, he sold the company to Byron Lee. It was renamed Dynamic Sounds. Over sixteen years, Seaga worked on compiling a collection of Jamaican music covering the period from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. This will be released as a four-disc box set in early November 2012, titled Reggae Golden Jubilee Origins of Jamaican Music Political career Seagas political career began in 1959 when Sir Alexander Bustamante, founder of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), nominated him to serve in the Upper House of the Jamaican Parliament, the Legislative Council (later the Senate). His appointment at age 29 made him the youngest member ever appointed to the Legislative Council. In 1961, he participated in drafting the Jamaican Constitution. In April 1962, Seaga was elected Member of Parliament for West Kingston, the waterfront area in the capital city. Historically, it has been the oldest settlement in Kingston for poor, working-class residents, many of whom are unemployed. Employment is largely petty trading with some semi-skilled craftsmen. He held that seat for 43 consecutive years, until he retired, making him the longest-serving Member of Parliament in the history of Jamaica and the Caribbean region.He is the only person elected as Member of Parliament for West Kingston for more than one term, and has won 10 consecutive terms. Immediately after winning his seat in 1962, Mr. Seaga was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Development and Welfare, with responsibility for all areas of planning, social development and culture. He initiated the redevelopment of Back-of-Wall, a notorious large slum in West Kingston, and its replacement by housing, schools and community amenities, which was named Tivoli Garden, a model of community development. He also used his position to continue to promote Jamaican music. Following the 1967 General Elections, Seaga was appointed Minister of Finance and Planning. In 1974 he became Leader of the JLP, in which he served for 30 years; he was also Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition in various periods. Edward P.G. Seaga became Prime Minister of Jamaica following the General Election of October 30, 1980, when the Jamaica Labour Party won a landslide victory over the incumbent People’s National Party (PNP), with the largest mandate ever. The mandate of Mr. Seaga and the Jamaica Labour Party was renewed in the uncontested 1983 General Elections. He continued as Prime Minister until February 1989. As one of the founding fathers in the framing of the Jamaican Constitution in 1961, Mr. Seaga has spearheaded far-reaching constitutional reforms since then. He initiated a re-write of the human rights section of the Constitution, to provide for a Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms; creation of the post of Public Defender; and curtailment of some of the powers of the Prime Minister to provide a better balance of power between the executive and the parliament in the Jamaican system of governance Contributions to independent Jamaica Economic And Financial Development Seaga established many of the financial institutions required in newly independent Jamaica to build a financial market for successful economic investment and growth, including the following: 1967, first Jamaican majority-owned commercial bank - Jamaica Citizens Bank (JCB) 1968, Jamaica Stock Exchange 1969, decimalization of the Jamaican currency 1969, nationalization of financial institutions - banks and insurance companies 1969, Introduction of merchant banking 1971, Jamaica Unit Trust 1972 Jamaica Mortgage Bank 1981 National Development Bank (NDB) 1981 Agricultural Credit Bank (ACB) 1982 Agro 21 1982, Divestment Programme, commencing with lease of government-owned hotels 1984, Self-Start Fund 1985, Comprehensive Tax Reforms including a flat income tax rate for all 1985, Solidarity Programme for micro-businesses 1986, Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) 1986, De-regulation of economy, commencing with removal of import licencing; later price controls 1986, Privatization of financial institutions - NCB 1987, JAMPRO (formerly JNIP) 1988, Digiport - first satellite telecommunications data processing operation - Montego Bay 1988, One Million Trees Programme Planning and development Rural and urban planning and the environment have been prime areas of development in Seagas career. He has focused on waterfront development in the main coastal towns and cities, rural and urban township development programmes, and the development of parks and markets. They included the following: 1963, 5-Year Development Plan 1966, Redevelopment of Kingston Waterfront 1967, Comprehensively planned urban communities - redevelopment of Back-o-Wall slum as Tivoli Garden, a modern, fully planned urban development; Hellshire Hills development; Portmore Town centre; Torrington Park 1967, Reclamation and development of Ocho Rios Waterfront (Turtle Beach) 1968 Urban Development Corporation 1969 Comprehensive development plan for infrastructure of many rural towns (later CRDTDP) 1971 20-Year Physical Development Plan 1983 National Conference Centre - headquarters of the International Seabed Authority 1983 National Committee for Drug Abuse 1985 MPM - Beautification and Public Cleansing 1988 Reclamation of Montego Bay Waterfront 1988 Negril development (Bloody Bay) 1988 Social Well-being Plan Various Times Land Bank - purchase of 50,000 acres of prime properties for future development (Negril, Orange Bay, Auchindown, Mt. Edgecombe, Seville, Laughing Water, Belmont (Dunns River), Winifred Rest Home property, Caymanas, Hellshire Hills. Various Times Development of several hotels - Kingston Waterfront, Ocho Rios, Negril. Social Programmes Seaga was the architect of a wide range of social programmes which expanded training in human resources, aided small enterprises and protected the poor and vulnerable. 1963 Construction of the National Arena 1963 Things Jamaican - craft development 1963 Launching of the Drug Abuse Committee (later Council) 1964 100 Village Community Development Programme 1965 Community sports development on a structured islandwide basis 1965 The Golden Age Movement 1965 The National Volunteers 1970 Student Revolving Loan Fund for Higher Education 1971 National School Feeding Programme 1972 Establishment of Jamaica Racing Commission and Jockey School 1974 Institute of Mass Communication; later renamed Caribbean Institute of Media & Communication (CARIMAC) 1982 H.E.A.R.T. (Human Employment & Resource Training) 1984 Food Stamp Programme for elderly poor and lactating mothers 1984 ARP - Administrative Reform Programme for fundamental Civil Service reforms 1985 Golden Age Home fr the elderly poor 1986 L.E.A.P. (Learning for Earning Activity Programme) for street children 1988 P.A.C.E. (Programme for Advancement of Early Childhood Education) 1988 Residential Halls for UWI, UTECH and Cultural Training Centre Cultural programmes[edit] Seaga established in independent Jamaica most of the institutions to build cultural awareness and national identity, as well as develop arts, crafts and national heritage. 1963 Jamaica Festival 1964 Promotion to launch Jamaican music (ska) abroad 1964 Return and interment of Marcus Garveys body at Jamaica 1964 Order of National Heroes - Garvey first named hero 1964 National Heroes Park 1965 to 1969 - development of several museums: Arawak, Port Royal 1967 Jamaica Journal publication (Institute of Jamaica) 1967 Research and recording of folk culture 1967 Devon House 1968 National Heritage Week 1971 Design of the Cultural Training Centre (Arts, Drama, Music, Painting & Sculpture) 1972 Jamaica Racing Commission and Jockey School 1986 Establishment of the Creative Production and Training Centre (CPTC) 1988 Planned development of heritage sites (Port Royal, Spanish Town, Seville) 1988 Media Divestment Programme, to establish several small private radio stations and church television Institutional, Parliamentary, Political and Constitutional Reforms[edit] Seaga is recognized as the initiator of some of the most important political, parliamentary and constitutional reforms which affect governance of the country. 1961 Member of the Parliamentary Commission which drafted the Constitution for independent Jamaica 1979 Electoral reforms: structure of EAC 1986 Establishment of Contractor General proposed in 1979 1986 Media Commission 1992 Constitutional Reform: Advocate General (renamed Public Defender) 1993 Constitutional Reform: Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms 1994 Several Parliamentary reforms: to strengthen the independence of Parliament to allow non-Parliamentarians to address Parliament on issues 1994 Money Bills tabled in Parliament to regulate money supply by law International Programmes[edit] Jamaica is recognized for initiating several far-reaching international programmes within the Caribbean region and world-wide, due to Seagas proposals to create new international agreements. 1974 UNESCO International Fund for the Promotion of Culture (Culture Bank) 1982 Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) 1986 UNDP - United Nations International Short Term Advisory Resources - UNISTAR (Manpower Bank) 1986 Caribbean Democrat Union (CDU) 1986 CARIBCAN (Canada)
Posted on: Wed, 28 May 2014 09:09:10 +0000
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