Neville Cenac

Cenac was the brother of Prime Minister Winston Cenac, who was the head of government for eight months from 1981 to 1982.Guy Ellis, "Winston Cenac, former prime minister of St. Lucia, dies," Associated Press Newswires, 23 September 2004, 20:50. Cenac joined the Saint Lucia Labour Party in 1968.{{cite web |title=Curriculum Vitae of Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac |url=https://www.govt.lc/media.govt.lc/www/resources/publications/neville-cenac-cv-final--1-.pdf |website=www.govt.lc |publisher=Government of Saint Lucia}} He was the mayor of Castries from 1981 to 1982, when he resigned in to became the leader of Labour Party and the Leader of the Opposition in 1982.

Cenac was the Leader of the Opposition in December 1982, during a constitutional dispute over the status of Governor-General Boswell Williams. John Compton, the serving prime minister and a member of the governing United Workers Party, had taken steps to have Williams unseated. In response, Cenac wrote a letter to Elizabeth II, Queen of Saint Lucia, asking her to disregard Compton's actions."The Financial Times reports that a constitutional crisis is likely to develop in St Lucia following the St Lucian Government's attempt to have the current governor-general, Mr Boswell Williams, removed," Financial Times, 8 December 1982, p. 4. The dispute ended when Williams resigned on 13 December 1982.

Cenac was returned as a Labour Party member of the Saint Lucian parliament during the country's two successive elections in April 1987."OPPOSITION PARLIAMENTARIAN BECOMES NEW FOREIGN MINISTER," Reuters News, 2 June 1987.

The website of the Saint Lucia Labour Party indicates that Cenac was elected for the Laborie constituency in two elections as well as representing the party at the municipal level in Castries.[http://www.stlucialabourparty.org/neville-cenac/ Leaders: Neville Cenac], Saint Lucia Labour Party, accessed 24 June 2011. A letter written by Cenac to the Saint Lucia Star, entitled "History refutes Owen Arthur’s comments" and published on 24 January 2011, indicates that he was the only member of the Labour Party elected to the nine-member Castries city council in 1972.

Cenac changed his political affiliation on 2 June 1987, joining the United Workers Party group in parliament and becoming the country's foreign minister. When asked why he changed sides, Cenac simply responded, "broken promises". The change increased the Workers Party's legislative majority from one vote (9–8) to three votes (10–7)."OPPOSITION PARLIAMENTARIAN BECOMES NEW FOREIGN MINISTER," Reuters News, 2 June 1987; "Defecting opposition member made Foreign Minister," BBC News, 3 June 1987; "Mr Neville Cenac, an opposition Labour member of parliament in St Lucia, has defected to the government benches at the opening of the new session of parliament," Financial Times, 9 June 1987, p. 24; "Men and Matters: Serendipity," Financial Times, 9 June 1987, p. 24.

Cenac spoke before the United Nations General Assembly in October 1987, saying that Saint Lucia was considering political union with other small Caribbean nations. He argued that quality of life issues could be improved if the region no longer had to support "seven governors-general, seven prime ministers, [and] 60 ministers for a total population for about 500,000." Cenac also accused Guatemala of threatening the sovereignty of Belize."SAINT LUCIA TELLS U.N. OF MOVES TOWARD CARIBBEAN UNION," Reuters News, 8 October 1987.

In August 1989, Cenac and other Caribbean foreign ministers met with Haitian head of state General Prosper Avril on the subject of future elections in the country.Edwige Balutansky, "CARIBBEAN MINISTERS SEE POSSIBLE HAITI ELECTIONS IN 1990," Reuters News, 18 August 1999.

Cenac served as foreign minister until 1992. He was appointed as UWP senator in 1992, and in 1993 was appointed as President of the Senate. He was president of the Senate of Saint Lucia from October 1993 to June 1997.

On 18 January 2018, Cenac was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) in the 2018 Special Honours.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2949303|title=CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD | Honours and Awards | the Gazette}}

Also in 2018, Cenac was appointed Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Lucia (GCSL), in his capacity as Chancellor of the Order.{{Cite web|url=http://governorgeneral.govt.lc/governor-general-sir-emmanuel-neville-cenac|title = Saint Lucia - Office of the Governor General}}

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Category:1939 births

Category:Living people

Category:Saint Lucia Labour Party politicians

Category:United Workers Party (Saint Lucia) politicians

Category:Governors-general of Saint Lucia

Category:Ministers of foreign affairs of Saint Lucia

Category:Presidents of the Senate of Saint Lucia

Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George

Category:Mayors of places in Saint Lucia