Rufus Ewing

Rufus Washington Ewing is a Turks and Caicos Islander politician who served as the 3rd Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands and president of the Progressive National Party (PNP) from 2012 to 2016. Prior to his tenure as premier he worked in the Ministry of Health. He resigned as president of the PNP and lost the premiership after the PNP lost the 2016 election.

Early life Rufus Washington Ewing graduated from the University of the West Indies with a bachelor's degree in medicine and surgery and a Doctor of Medicine, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a Master of Public Health. He studied in the Bahamas, United States, and Canada.

Career In the Ministry of Health Ewing worked as Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of Health Services. On 12 November 2012, he was elected president of the TCI Civil Service Association.

In 2012, Ewing was elected president of the Progressive National Party (PNP). The PNP won the 2012 election and Ewing became the 3rd Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands on 12 November. He was Minister of Tourism in his own cabinet. The PNP lost the 2016 election, with Ewing losing his own seat. Ewing resigned as president of the PNP on 16 December.

Turks and Caicos received its first sovereign credit rating in 2014; it was a BBB+ from S&P Global Ratings.

Political positions Ewing avoided discussing the idea of Canada annexing the Turks and Caicos Islands. He sought better socioeconomic relations with Canada and stated that he was "not closing the door completely" on the idea of the two entities merging.