1 9 6 1 – 1 9 8 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 9 – 1 9 9 3 . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁First ▁Minister ▁and ▁Premier ▁under ▁British ▁rule ▁until ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁first ▁prime ▁minister ▁after ▁independence ▁that ▁year . ▁He ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁principal ▁architect s ▁of ▁Bel ize an ▁independence . ▁Today ▁he ▁is ▁referred ▁to ▁by ▁many ▁as ▁the ▁" F ather ▁of ▁the ▁Nation ". ▁Price ▁effectively ▁domin ated ▁Bel ize an ▁politics ▁from ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁until ▁his ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁ret irement ▁from ▁party ▁leadership , ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁head ▁of ▁government ▁under ▁various ▁titles ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁that ▁period . ▁ ▁He ▁entered ▁politics ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁with ▁his ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁Bel ize ▁City ▁Council . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁with ▁the ▁de valu ation ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁H ond ur an ▁doll ar ▁he , ▁together ▁with ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁citizens , ▁formed ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Committee . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁" pe ace ful , ▁construct ive ▁Bel ize an ▁revolution ". ▁On ▁ 2 9 ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁he ▁co - f ounded ▁the ▁People ' s ▁United ▁Party , ▁which ▁he ▁led ▁for ▁four ▁dec ades ▁and ▁which ▁was ▁devoted ▁to ▁the ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁independence ▁of ▁the ▁British