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February 11, 2009
Portia Simpson-Miller
Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller ON, MP was born on December 12, 1945 in Wood Hall, St. Catherine. She has the distinction of being Jamaica's first female Prime Minister from March 30, 2006 - September 11, 2007. She is presently the President and Leader of the Opposition. She is also a member of the 'Council of Women World Leaders' which is an International network of former and current women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize women leaders in a collective effort to take action on issues critical to women and equitable development.
Mrs Simpson-Miller became the third woman to become Prime Minister in the English speaking Caribbean, when she succeeded ongoing Prime Minister P.J. Patterson. She now holds the position as President of the opposition People's National Party.
Prior to being Prime Minister she was the Minister of local Government and Sport since 2002. She has also served as Minister of Labour, Welfare and Sports; Minister of Labour, Social Security and Sports; Minister of Tourism and Sports and Defence Minister.
On September 2007 her party narrowly lost the 2007 general election to the rival Jamaica Labour Party 32 to 28 seats (after recounts). Simpson-Miller initially refused to concede defeat citing unfair voting regulations, but finally conceded when the Organization of American States issued a statement declaring the election free and fair. She was succeeded as Prime Minister by JLP leader Bruce Golding.
In July 2008 she was challenged for the Presidency of the PNP by her rival Dr. Peter Phillips. The election was held among the party's delegates on September 20, 2008. She defeated Phillips by an even wider margin than that of the previous election.
Simpson-Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts in public administration from the Union Institute, who also gave her an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters.
She is married to the Most Honorable Errald Miller, former CEO of Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited.
She was invested with the Jamaican O
.