George Odlum

George William Odlum (* June 24, 1934 in Castries, St. Lucia, † September 28, 2003 ) was a politician from St. Lucia.

Biography

Odlum was first Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism during the term of membership of St. Lucia in the West Indies Federation from 1961 to 1964. He then worked as an economist in the office of the Commonwealth of Nations in London.

After his return he became in 1967 the Executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers of the Associated States of the West Indies. Subsequently, he was from 1971 to 1978 president of the union of farmers and farm workers ( Farmers and Farm Workers Union ). In this role he was also leader of the anti - independence movement, which was the chairman of the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP), Allan Louisy supported.

As Louisy 1979 became prime minister on July 2, convened this Odlum the Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, Minister for Foreign Affairs. These offices he held until the end of Louisys tenure on May 4, 1981.

After many years of absence from political life he was appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations in 1994 and remained in that post until February 1996. During the elections of May 1997, he was elected as a candidate of the SLP to Members of Parliament, where he was until 2001 constituency Castries North East represented. Prime Minister Kenneth Anthony called him on May 4, 1997, again as foreign minister.

As an activist of the political left, he tried several times myself to be party chairman. In 2001 he resigned due to disagreements with Prime Minister Anthony and then tried unsuccessfully to even be Prime Minister in an alliance with another party.