Oliver Seraphin
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2008-06-21T21:28:44Z
Cydebot
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Robot - Moving category Politicians of Dominica to Dominica politicians per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 June 9]].
{{Infobox Officeholder
| name =Oliver James Seraphin
| nationality =Dominican
| smallimage =
| image =
| caption =
| term_start =June 25
| term_end =July 21
| predecessor =[[Patrick John]]
| successor =[[Eugenia Charles]]
| birth_date =August 2, 1943
| birth_place =[[Roseau]], Dominica
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic Labour Party
| spouse =
| profession =
| religion =
}}
'''Oliver James "O. J." Seraphin''' (born [[August 2]], [[1943]], also '''Oliver James Seraphine''') was the [[List of Prime Ministers of Dominica|Prime Minister]] of [[Dominica]] from June 25, [[1979]], until July 21, [[1980]].
==Early life==
Seraphin grew up in [[Roseau]], the capital, and received primary and secondary education at [[Roseau Mixed School]] and [[Dominica Grammar School]]; later in life, he studied at the [[Carnegie Institute of Technology|Carnegie Institute]] in the [[United States]] and in [[Cuba]]. Prior to politics, he worked in the insurance industry.<ref name="lhc">{{cite web| url = http://www.lennoxhonychurch.com/heritage.cfm?Id=214| title = Seraphin, Oliver, James "O.J.":| accessdate = 2006-11-10| last = Honychurch| first = Lennox| date = | work = Lennox Honychurch's A-to-Z of Dominica's Heritage}}</ref>
==Time in John's government==
He served in the socialist [[Dominica Labour Party]] government of Prime Minister [[Patrick John]]; John held the post for five years until he forced out by protests in 1979. Seraphin originally held the posts of Minister of Communications, Works, and Housing, but in a cabinet reshuffling, the Prime Minister made him Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and [[Caribbean Community|Caricom]] Affairs.<ref name="lhc" /> During this time, the Commonwealth of Dominica received its independence from the [[United Kingdom]]. When violent crowds opposed to the John government protested outside the [[House of Assembly of Dominica|House of Assembly]], Seraphin resigned, and John did the same shortly afterward.<ref name="lhc" />
[[Image:David 1979 track.png|right|thumb|200px|The path of Hurricane David. Dominica is obscured by an orange dot]]
==Time as Prime Minister==
Seraphin returned to government, in the position of Prime Minister, on June 25, upon request from the "Committee of National Salvation." [[Hurricane David]], which [[Hurricane_David#Dominica|hit]] Dominica in August 1979, killed 56 people, and devastated the island, would weaken his government, and he became preoccupied with rescue and rebuilding efforts. Seraphin traveled to [[Barbados]], [[Canada]], [[France]], the United States, and [[Venezuela]] to seek financial aid for rebuilding his county's infrastructure. He was succeeded by [[Eugenia Charles]], who would reign for the next 15 years, and hasn't returned to politics since. Her party, the [[Dominica Freedom Party]], defeated his, the Democratic Labour Party (which soon faded from the political scene), by a large margin in the 1980 election.<ref name="lhc"/>
==Life after politics==
Seraphin's government is commonly referred to as the "Interim Government." Since leaving politics, he has returned to business, especially that which is [[tourism]]-related, and maintains a public profile.<ref name="lhc" />
==References==
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>
{{start box}}
{{succession box|title=[[List of Prime Ministers of Dominica |Prime Minister of Dominica]]|before=[[Patrick John]]|after=[[Eugenia Charles]]| years=June 25, 1979—July 21, 1980}}
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{{DominicaPMs}}
{{Persondata
|NAME=Seraphin, Oliver James
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Seraphine, Oliver; O. J. Seraphin
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=[[List of Prime Ministers of Dominica |Prime Minister of Dominica]]
|DATE OF BIRTH=[[August 2]], [[1943]]
|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Roseau]], [[Dominica]]
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seraphin, Oliver}}
[[Category:Prime Ministers of Dominica]]
[[Category:Dominica politicians]]
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[de:Oliver Seraphin]]
[[pl:Oliver Seraphine]]