Dean Barrow

Dean Oliver Barrow, SC PC (born 2 March 1951) is a Belizean politician who served as prime minister of Belize from 2008 until 2020. Also serving as the leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP). An attorney by profession, he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1993 to 1998 and was Leader of the Opposition from 1998 until the UDP won the February 2008 election. Barrow started his first term as Prime Minister after victory in the 2008 election. He started his second term after the UDP again won an election on 7 March 2012. He started his third term when the UDP won again on 4 November 2015.

The Right Honourable Dean Barrow SC PC
4th Prime Minister of Belize
In office 8 February 2008 – 12 November 2020
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor General	Sir Colville Young
Deputy	Gaspar Vega (2008–2016) Patrick Faber (2016–2020)[1] Hugo Patt (2020–2020)
Preceded by	Said Musa
Succeeded by	Johnny Briceño
Leader of the Opposition
In office 30 August 1998 – 8 February 2008
Prime Minister	Said Musa
Preceded by	Said Musa
Succeeded by	Johnny Briceño
Member of the Belize House of Representatives for Queen's Square
In office 14 December 1984 – 12 November 2020
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Denise Barrow
Personal details
Born	Dean Oliver Barrow 2 March 1951 Belize City, British Honduras (now Belize)
Political party	United Democratic Party (1984–present)
Spouse(s)	Lois Young (before 2009) Kim Simplis (2009–present)
Alma mater	University of the West Indies at Cave Hill Norman Manley Law School University of Miami

Barrow was born and raised in Belize City, British Honduras (now Belize), and received an economics and political degree from the University of Miami. Forbes estimates his net worth to be $1 million.

Legal career

Barrow, a Senior Counsel, is one of Belize's successful attorneys and has appeared in several high-profile cases. He began his legal work in the law firm of uncle Dean Lindo in 1973 and became a partner there in 1977. He would eventually leave to form his own law firm, Barrow and Williams (with Rodwell Williams) until he vacated office prior to the 2008 general elections, although he remains titular senior partner. Among his firm's more controversial clients is Lord Ashcroft and the businesses he is connected with, particularly the Belize Bank and at one time, Belize Telemedia Limited, formerly Belize Telecommunications Limited.

Political career

In December 1983 Barrow entered electoral politics as a candidate for Belize City Council elections, which he won as part of a nine-man slate. Before that year's redistricting, in 1984 Barrow was preselected as the UDP candidate for Collet but after redistricting chose to contest the newly created Queen's Square constituency instead, as was his prerogative under UDP party rules. In the ensuing election Barrow handily defeated Ralph Fonseca of the People's United Party. Soon after he was appointed to the first Manuel Esquivel Cabinet as Attorney-General and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the 1989 general election, Barrow defeated Thomas Greenwood but his party lost the election. Barrow continued in his law practice. In 1990, he became deputy UDP leader under Esquivel after the death of Curl Thompson. In 1993, Barrow won his third straight general election and returned to the Cabinet in the posts he held from the previous administration in addition to Minister of National Security. His detractors called him "Minister of Everything" during this period because he was a particularly high-profile spokesman for the Esquivel government.

After the UDP's devastating 1998 election loss in which he was one of only three UDP winners, Barrow was elevated to UDP party leader and Leader of the Opposition, succeeding the defeated Esquivel. Barrow presided over the smallest oppositions (three and seven respectively) in the House of Representatives since 1974 and ever in the UDP's history. Barrow was reelected in 1998 and 2003 by closer margins than his previous elections over attorney Richard "Dickie" Bradley. He has since been re-elected by comfortable majorities.

Barrow is currently the most senior member of the UDP delegation in the Belize House as well as the Area Representative with the longest tenure of uninterrupted service. Among current Area Representatives, only Said Musa has a longer cumulative time in office.

Prime Minister of Belize

The UDP won a massive victory, with 25 out of 31 seats, in the general election held on 7 February 2008, and Barrow was sworn in as Prime Minister on 8 February. He is the country's first black Prime Minister.[2] He announced his Cabinet, including himself as Minister of Finance, on 11 February.[3]

The UDP won a reduced majority in the 2012 general election and Barrow started his second term as Prime Minister on 9 March 2012. He announced his cabinet, including himself as the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, on 12 March 2012.

Barrow led the UDP to a third consecutive general election victory in November 2015, however he stated the election would be his last as party leader.[4]

Upcoming retirement in 2020

Citing health issues, Barrow initially said he will step down as prime minister no later than the end of 2019 and hinted he could do so earlier.[5]

However, on 18 November 2018, Barrow's Cabinet urged him to remain as Prime Minister of Belize until the Next Belizean general election which is tentatively scheduled in November 2020. He said that he will take that move.

A convention to name Barrow's successor as UDP party leader was tentatively scheduled for May 2019, but in August 2019, the UDP postponed the date to 9 February 2020.[6]

There are currently two confirmed candidates for the leadership convention. The first one being Deputy prime minister, Patrick Faber and the other being National Security Minister, John Saldivar.

Barrow will also stand down from his House seat in Queen's Square at the next general election, endorsing his sister, Denise "Sister B" Barrow, to succeed him.[7]

Family

Barrow has four children. The oldest Jamal "Shyne" Barrow, born 8 November 1979.[8] (Shyne was born out of wedlock; his mother is the sister of Barrow's political colleague, Michael Finnegan). His second son Anwar runs a small-scale lending institution. His daughter Deanne practises law out of her mother's (Barrow's first wife Lois Young) firm.

Barrow was married a second time 7 February 2009 in Savannah, Georgia to his long-time girlfriend Kim Simplis.[9] They have one daughter, Salima.

Education

Barrow attended St. Michael's College in Belize and the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill in Barbados (LL.B. 1973); Norman Manley Law School, Mona, Kingston, Jamaica (Certificate of Legal Education, 1975); University of Miami School of Law (LL.M., 1981); University of Miami (M.A. International Relations).

References

1. "Hon. Patrick Faber Sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister". The San Pedro Sun. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
2. "Belize's opposition party wins landslide in congressional elections", Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), 9 February 2008. Archived 3 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
3. "Prime Minister Dean Barrow announces new Cabinet", The San Pedro Sun, Vol. 18, No. 7, 14 February 2008.
4. Parks, Rowland A. "General elections no later than 'first part of next year' – PM Barrow", Amandala, 4 September 2015. (accessed 27 September 2015)
5. "P.M. Gone? Not Yet, But He is Thinking About It", Great Belize Television, 12 May 2017. (accessed 21 May 2017)
6. "PM Barrow gives timeline for departure", Breaking Belize News, 16 May 2018. (accessed 8 October 2018)
7. Ali, Marion V. "Barrow to hand over Queen Square to Sister B" Archived 24 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine, The Reporter, 4 December 2015. (accessed 22 May 2017)
8. "Belize elects first black leader, ousts incumbent (page 2)". Catherine Bremer Reuters. 8 February 2008. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
9. "Belize prime minister will get married in Savannah", Associated Press (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), 15 January 2009. Archived 22 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine