The Commonwealth of Dominica is mourning the death of its last Premier and first Prime Minister, Patrick Roland John.
John died this morning at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital at the ages of 83.
As premier of Dominica, John led the country to independence from the United Kingdom in 1978 thereby becoming the first Prime Minister of the newly-formed republic.
His government was ousted the following year when thousands of Dominicans took to the streets in protest against what they described as oppressive legislation which the John regime was attempting to enact in parliament
