Blaize, Herbert Augustus (1918-1989)

Grenadian centrist politician, prime minister in 1967 and 1984-89. Cofounder of the centrist Grenada National Party (GNP), he led the official opposition after full independence in 1974. In hiding from 1979, following the left-wing coup by Maurice Bishop, he returned after the US invasion of 1983, and led a reconstituted New National party (NNP) to power in 1984. Suffering from terminal cancer, he relinquished the NNP leadership to Keith Mitchell early in 1989, and was succeeded as prime minister by Ben Jones.

Before entering politics, Blaize qualified and practised as a solicitor. He was elected to parliament in 1957, having helped to establish the centrist GNP, and held various ministerial posts before becoming prime minister briefly in 1967.