Jamaica to get first woman prime minister on Mar 30

KINGSTON, Jamaica, March 14 (Reuters) Veteran politician Portia Simpson Miller will be sworn in as prime minister of Jamaica on March 30, the outgoing prime minister said, becoming the first woman to lead the island's government.

''I'll be tendering my resignation during the day of the 30th of March, 2006, to permit the swearing in of the new prime minister that same afternoon,'' Prime Minister P.J. Patterson told a news conference on Yesterday.

Patterson, 72, said last month he would retire after serving 14 years as prime minister, but he had not previously set a date.

Simpson Miller won a special election to replace Patterson as head of the ruling People's National Party in February.

Under Jamaica's parliamentary democracy government, the head of the ruling party becomes prime minister.

''There are a number of matters, internal and external, that the prime minister designate will have to be briefed on, so over the next few weeks, I will be doing that,'' Patterson said.

Simpson Miller, 60, is the Cabinet minister for local government, community development and sports and has been a member of parliament since 1989. She will become Jamaica's first female head of government.

Simpson Miller said she will announce Cabinet appointments on March 31 and set the ceremonial opening of Parliament and introduction of the budget for April 12. She takes over as Jamaicans rank a soaring crime rate, lack of jobs and rising cost of living as the top problems in the nation of 2.7 million.

Teruters SK VP0052