1956 Trinidad and Tobago general election

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1956 Trinidad and Tobago general election
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg
  1950 24 September 1956 (1956-09-24) 1961  

All 24 seats in the Legislative Council
Turnout80.09% (Increase2.svg9.96pp)
 First partySecond party
  Eric Williams (cropped).jpg BhadaseSaganMaraj.jpg
Leader Eric Williams Bhadase Sagan Maraj
Party PNM PDP
Leader since19551953
Seats won135
Percentage39.75%20.85%

 Third partyFourth party
 
Leader Tubal Uriah Butler A. P. T. James
Party Butler Party TLP–NDP
Leader since1936
Last election62
Seats won22
Percentage11.75%5.18%

Trinidad and Tobago 1956 election.png

Chief Minister before election

Albert Gomes
(Party of Political Progress Groups)

Subsequent Chief Minister

Eric Williams
(People's National Movement)

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 24 September 1956. [1] 129 candidates from nine political parties contested for 24 seats in the legislative council. [2] The result was a victory for the People's National Movement, which won 13 of the 24 seats. Voter turnout was 80.1%. [3]

In one of the biggest races in the 1956 general election, West Indies cricketer Learie Constantine of the PNM defeated Radio Trinidad announcer Surujpat Mathura of the PDP in Tunapuna. [4]

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's National Movement 105,15339.7513New
People's Democratic Party 55,14820.855New
Butler Party 31,07111.752–4
Party of Political Progress Groups 14,0195.300–2
Trinidad Labour Party–National Development Party 13,6925.1820
Caribbean National Labour Party 3,8641.460New
Caribbean People's Democratic Party 6270.240New
West Indian Independence Party 4460.170New
Independents40,52315.322–4
Total264,543100.0024+6
Valid votes264,54397.43
Invalid/blank votes6,9912.57
Total votes271,534100.00
Registered voters/turnout339,02880.09
Source: Elections and Boundaries Commission

References

  1. Dieter Nohlen (2005). Elections in the Americas: A Data Handbook, Vol. I. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 635. ISBN   0-19-928357-5.
  2. "Trinidad and Tobago General Election Results 1956". Caribbean Elections. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  3. Nohlen, p639
  4. "Constantine, Learie". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 15 May 2021.