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Eric Gairy

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World Leader

The Resume

    (February 18, 1922-August 23, 1997)
    Born in Dunfermline, Grenada
    School teacher and trade union leader
    Founded the Grenada United Labour Party (1951)
    Served as Chief Minister and Finance Minister of Grenada (1957-62)
    Premier of Grenada (1967-74)
    First Prime Minister of an independent Grenada (1974-79)
    Knighted (1977)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was dismissed as Chief Minister and Finance Minister over corruption charges.
    He was a judge at the 1970 Miss World pageant and was accused of rigging the contest to ensure a win for Miss Grenada, Jennifer Hosten.
    He became increasingly authoritarian as Prime Minister.
    He was widely suspected of rigging his re-election (1976).
    He created a paramilitary band of thugs, known as the Mongoose Gang, to suppress opposition, producing 'a veritable reign of terror,' according to the US State Department.
    He sought military assistance from the Pinochet regime.
    He dismissed reports of human rights abuses as 'a Communist propaganda campaign.'
    He declared, 'He who opposes me, opposes God.'
    He claimed to have seen a UFO.
    He returned to Grenada after the US-led invasion (1983) and ran unsuccessfully for the office of Prime Minister three times (1984,1990,1995).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He became a hero to working-class Grenadians after organizing an island-wide general strike (1951).
    He was an impeccable dresser.
    The political opposition used his interest in UFOs to mock him.
    While he was at the United Nations trying to convince the UN to investigate UFOs, he was overthrown in a coup led by Maurice Bishop (March 9, 1979), and spent four years in exile in the US.
    He went blind a few years before his death.
    He was given a state funeral.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 90.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 30 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 36 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 33 Votes: 36.36% Annoying