Kieron Joseph Samaroo
Kieron Joseph Samaroo[1] (born 6 December 1987) is a Trinidadian-born politician and talk show host. He is the former chairman of the COP Youth Congress, which is the national youth branch of the Congress of the People[1](COP), a political party in Trinidad and Tobago founded by economist and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Dookeran.[2] The Congress of the People was part of the People's Partnership coalition headed by former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and included other political parties such as the United National Congress (UNC), the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), the Tobago Organization of the People (TOP), and the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ). The People's Partnership coalition won 29 of the 41 seats in parliament in the 2010 election and subsequently formed the government. In 2015, the People's Partnership coalition lost the election to the opposition People's National Movement.
Family and early life
Samaroo was born on 6 December 1987 and spent most of his early life and brought up in an evangelical Christian home in a family with Hindu, Muslim and Roman Catholic influences. He has one sibling.
Education
After completing elementary schooling at the Rosary Boys' Roman Catholic School in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Samaroo attended Fatima College, in Port of Spain. Its former principal, Fr. Anthony Pantin, served as Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Port of Spain. He subsequently attended Queen's Royal College, one of the first secondary schools in Trinidad, and pursued Advanced 'A' Level certificates there.
In 2007, Samaroo enrolled at the University of the West Indies in St Augustine, Trinidad, to pursue studies in economics. Subsequently, he switched majors to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in political sciences and a minor in communication. He graduated with honours in 2015 and currently reads for a Master of Science degree at the same University.
Political life
In 2007, Samaroo joined the Congress of the People. Shortly thereafter, he began speaking on public platforms and media interviews on the COP's philosophy of 'new politics'.
The following year, 2008, in the COP's internal elections, Samaroo was elected Chairman of the COP Youth Congress, the arm of the Congress of the People that deals with youth and youth affairs.
In that same year, the COP Youth Congress participated in the National Youth Assembly programme held by the Ministry of Youth Affairs. It contested the constituency of St. Augustine with Samaroo as the candidate. The Youth Congress was successful, and Samaroo was elected to the National Youth Assembly and served as assemblyman for St Augustine for the term of one year.
Samaroo's Chairmanship to the COP Youth Congress made him an automatic member of the National Executive of the COP- the leadership committee which executes the political affairs and strategies of the COP.
In his capacity as a National Executive member, Samaroo held various responsibilities. He was responsible for the planning of the COP's annual National Assembly in 2009. He served on the committee which screened and selected candidates for the General elections and the Local Government elections of 2010.
In September 2010, he was elected to serve a second term as Chairman of the COP Youth Congress.
Media involvement
From October 2010 Samaroo co-hosted Rapidfire, a show focused on current affairs on WINTV, a Trinidad-based network spanning other Caribbean countries and Canada. The show was co-hosted by Kevin Ratiram, a Trinidadian attorney and Alderman in the San Fernando City Corporation.
In December 2013, Samaroo was invited to co-host The Morning Panchayat, a radio talk show focusing on current affairs and politics on Trinidadian station Aakash Vani 106.5FM,[3] which is part of Caribbean media conglomerate Guardian Media Ltd. Samaroo currently co-hosts The Morning Panchayat, with Carol Cuffy-Dowlat, an attorney and former senator in the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, and well known media personality, Satesh Mahabir.