State funeral for Dominica's late Prime Minister on Saturday

Friday, January 16, 2004

ROSEAU, Dominica: Ninety dignitaries and other officials representing regional and international countries and agencies will attend the state funeral of the late Dominican prime minister Pierre Charles on Saturday, according to the acting director of political affairs here, Anita Joseph. 

The government's ministry of foreign affairs official disclosed on Thursday that five heads of states, including Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, are among special guests visiting Charles' birthplace of Grand Bay where the ceremony will be held.

Grand Bay is a small town of mostly farming and fishing families that live about ten miles south of the capital. The 49-year-old Charles had been its MP from 1985 to 2004.

Charles died at the island's main medical facility, the Princess Margaret Hospital, shortly after chairing a cabinet meeting last week Tuesday. 

Education minister Roosevelt Skerrit, 31, was last Thursday sworn-in as the island's seventh leader. 

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