Gov. Charles Turnbull will lead a delegation of Virgin Islands government officials next week to attend the funeral of Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Douglas.
Among those who will accompany him to the Oct. 14 funeral is Sen. David Jones, a native of Dominica.
Douglas, 58, was discovered dead on Oct. 1 at his home in Portsmouth, about 30 miles from the capital of Roseau. According to medical reports, the apparent cause of death was a heart attack.
Jones, the only V.I. senator born in Dominica, said Douglas had started an ambitious program of diversifying the country’s economy since his election last January. Douglas visited the territory this summer where he attended the rededication of St. Croix Government House.
"Prime Minister Douglas was a friend of mine," Jones said. "He was a man of the people. He will be sorely missed."
Prior to his death, Douglas was at a summit of Caribbean leaders in Jamaica following a trip abroad that took in Australia, Taiwan and Canada, part of his program to attract new business through international contacts.
Douglas was elected in January as the leader of the Dominica Labor Party after promising to clean up corruption and prod the economy, in part by promoting eco-tourism and lowering Dominica's dependence on banana exports.
He was born into the island nation's plantation-owning upper class but became a Marxist early on and helped lead the Caribbean black power movement in the 1970s. His political views moderated over the years as he became involved in governing, winning election as a senator after the island won independence from Britain in 1978.
Douglas became head of the Labor Party in 1992 and was instrumental in turning its policies more toward the center.
The names of other V.I. officials who will travel to Dominica for the funeral have not yet been announced.
