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Caribbean Democrat Union, 1985-1992

 Sub-Series

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Dates

  • Creation: 1985-1992

Language of Materials

  • English

Full range of shelfmarks:

COB 7/1/1

Biographical / Historical

The Caribbean Democrat Union was launched on 17 January 1986 in Kingston, Jamaica. The founding member parties were the United Democratic Party of Belize, the Freedom Party of Dominica, the New National Party of Grenada, the Labour Party of Jamaica, the People's Action Movement of St Kitts, the United Workers' Party of St Lucia, and the New Democratic Party of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Its purpose was to bring together moderate and centre-right political parties to strengthen the movement for democracy in the Caribbean and to 'provide a necessary counterbalance to the radical political thought that dominated the Caribbean in the seventies'.

Edward Seaga, Prime Minister of Jamaica, was appointed the CDU's first chairman. A Party Leader's Conference was held every two years at which the CDU's governing body would meet, while the day-to-day operations were managed by the secretariat based in Kingston, Jamaica.

It is recognised as a regional body of the International Democrat Union (see COB 7/11 for the IDU's papers).

Repository Details

Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository

Contact:
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom