Wednesday, September 30 2009

A RESEARCH of Newsday’s archives shows that Alexander Chamberlain Alexis was born October 15, 1921 and was a former Teacher and Postal Clerk in Grenada. He became a member of the British Empire Citizens’ and Home Rule Party, from 1945 to 1956 after which he joined the People’s National Movement (PNM).

In the election year of 1956 when the PNM entered the General Election fray, Alexander Chamberlain Alexis, originally a staunch Butlerite, faced the polls in St Patrick Central as an Independent, and won the seat by one vote.



He won the seat with 3,124 votes he defeated the Butlerite candidate, CL Mitchell, who gained 3,123 votes. Other candidates who went under for that seat included Lionel I Jones, who contested under the banner of the PNM. He received 2,287 votes.



In the following General Election, held in 1961, Alexis by that time had joined the PNM, and contested as the party’s candidate for the La Brea seat, and won with 7,924 votes, defeating his nearest rival, Leo Mitchell of the DLP, who received 1,816 votes



The 1961 election was a straight two-party race between the PNM and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).

In the 1966 General Election, Alexis again contested the La Brea seat under the PNM banner. He won with 6,422 votes

In 1971, Alexis again won the La Brea seat under the PNM, this time getting 4,473 votes



In 1976, Alexis was out of the election scene, he being replaced by Ian Anthony, another PNM member.

During the period 1961 — 1963, Alexis was Parliamentary Secretary; from 1963 - 1967 he was Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of West Indian Affairs. From 1967 - 1970, he was Minister of Labour.