A. N. R. Robinson | |
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| 3rd President of Trinidad and Tobago | |
| In office 18 March 1997 – 16 March 2003 | |
| Prime Minister | Basdeo Panday Patrick Manning |
| Preceded by | Noor Hassanali |
| Succeeded by | George Maxwell Richards |
| 3rd Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago | |
| In office 18 December 1986 – 17 December 1991 | |
| President | Ellis Clarke Noor Hassanali |
| Preceded by | George Chambers |
| Succeeded by | Patrick Manning |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson (1926-12-16)16 December 1926 |
| Died | 9 April 2014(2014-04-09) (aged 87) Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Political party |
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| Spouse | Patricia Robinson |
| Alma mater | |
Arthur Napoleon Raymond RobinsonSCOCCTC (16 December 1926 – 9 April 2014; known asA. N. R. or "Ray"Robinson), was aTrinidad and Tobago politician who served as the thirdPresident of Trinidad and Tobago from 1997 to 2003 and the thirdPrime Minister from 1986 to 1991. He is known for his resilience within the government, resigning fromEric Williams’ administration in 1970 promoted by theState of Emergency imposed onBlack Power protests,[1] and is recognized for his proposal that led to the establishment of theInternational Criminal Court.[2] He is also remembered for being held hostage during the1990 Jamaat al Muslimeen coup attempt, during which he ordered the army to “attack with full force” while being held at gunpoint.[3]
Robinson was the first active politician to be elected to the presidency, and was the first presidential candidate who was not elected unopposed (the OppositionPeople's National Movement nominated JusticeAnthony Lucky as its candidate for president). President Robinson sparked controversy in his term in office when he refused to appoint certain senators recommended by Prime MinisterBasdeo Panday following the elections in 2000 and in 2001 when he appointed theLeader of the OppositionPatrick Manning to the position of prime minister after a tied election.
Robinson was born inTobago in 1926 toAfro-Trinidadians James and Isabella Robinson.[4][5] He was educated at Castara Methodist School (where his father served ashead master) and Bishop's High School, where he obtained a Higher School Certificate with distinction in Latin and competed for an Island Scholarship. He obtained aBachelor of Laws degree fromLondon University as an external student. In 1951 he left for the United Kingdom, where he wascalled to the bar atInner Temple and obtained a degree in philosophy, politics and economics fromSt. John's College, Oxford.[4][6] Robinson returned to Trinidad and Tobago, where he practised as aBarrister-at-Law.[4]
Robinson marriedPatricia Rawlins and had two children, David and Ann-Margaret.[4]
Robinson was a founding member of the People's National Movement and served in the parliament of theWest Indies Federation between 1958 and 1960.[6] In 1961 he was elected to theParliament of Trinidad and Tobago, serving asmember of parliament for Tobago. He was the country'sMinister of Finance from 1961 to 1966.[7] Following theBlack Power Revolution in 1970, Robinson resigned from the People's National Movement and formed the Action Committee of Dedicated Citizens, which joined forced with theDemocratic Labour Party to contest the1971 General Elections; Robinson and the DLP ended up boycotting the elections in protest over the use of voting machines.[8]
After the 1971 election, the Action Committee of Dedicated Citizens became theDemocratic Action Congress which won both Tobago seats in the1976 General Elections. As leader as the DAC, Robinson worked for internal self-government for Tobago, culminating in the passage of the Tobago House of Assembly Act in 1980. Robinson resigned from Parliament to contest theTobago House of Assembly elections, and became the Chairman of the Assembly following victory by the DLP.[8] He had also proposed the idea of the International Court.
In 1981 Robinson allied with theUnited Labour Front under the leadership of Basdeo Panday, and theTapia House Movement, under the leadership ofLloyd Best, to form theNational Alliance for Reconstruction. It entered into an alliance with theOrganisation for National Reconstruction, under the leadership ofKarl Hudson-Phillips, to successfully fight the1983 Trinidad and Tobago local elections. Building on this victory the four parties combined to form the National Alliance for Reconstruction.[9][dubious –discuss]
ANR Robinson went on to become prime minister through the National Alliance For Reconstruction. Shortly after assuming the position, he dismissed Basdeo Panday, Kelvin Ramnath, Trevor Sudama and John Humphrey from the Cabinet. However, Robinson subsequently lost the 1991 elections. He rejoined the UNC Administration as a coalition member representing the NAR. Panday later offered to nominate him to become the next President of Trinidad and Tobago.
Robinson was instrumental in the creation of the International Criminal Court. In 1989, he askedBenjamin Ferencz andRobert Kurt Woetzel to assist in drafting a proposal for the UN General Assembly to ask the UN'sInternational Law Commission to study the possibility of creating the International Criminal Court. The resolution was presented on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago at the UN General Assembly in June 1989, leading to the adoption of theRome Statute of the International Criminal Court in July 1998 and creation of the International Criminal Court on 1 July 2002.
During the 1990coup d'état attempt by theJamaat al Muslimeen, Robinson and much of his cabinet were held hostage for six days by gunmen under the leadership ofYasin Abu Bakr. When instructed to order the army to stop firing on theRed House, where they were held hostage, Robinson instead instructed them to "attack with full force," an action which led to him getting beaten by his captors. He was also shot in his leg.[10]
Robinson suffered from a number of ailments including a stroke and prostate complications and was hospitalised at St. Clair Medical Hospital after he complained of feeling ill.[11] Following an illness of several months, he died at St. Clair Medical Centre at about 6:00 am on 9 April 2014.[9] In reaction, Prime MinisterKamla Persad-Bissessar said that he was "one of our nation's outstanding sons...but the legacy he leaves behind shall surely live on to inspire today's and tomorrow's generations."
In 1997 Robinson was awarded theTrinity Cross, at that time the highest order of Trinidad and Tobago.[12]
During the investiture of PresidentThomas Boni Yayi ofBenin as a titledYorubachieftain on 20 December 2008, the reigning Ooni ofIle-Ife,Nigeria,Olubuse II, referred to President Robinson and his wife as previous recipients of the same royal honour.[13]
In May 2011, the airport in Tobago was renamed theA. N. R. Robinson International Airport, replacing the name "Crown Point International Airport".[14][15]
In November 2011, A. N. R. Robinson was the recipient of Tobago's highest award, the Tobago Medal of Honour.[16][17]
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| Preceded by | President of Trinidad and Tobago 1997–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago 1986–1991 | Succeeded by |
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