Organisation for National Reconstruction

Last updated
Trinidad and Tobago
Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago.svg
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Trinidad and Tobago

The Organisation for National Reconstruction (ONR) was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party received the second-highest number of votes in the 1981 general elections, but failed to win a seat. Prior to the 1986 elections it merged into the new National Alliance for Reconstruction.

Trinidad and Tobago Island country in the Caribbean Sea

Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is a twin island country that is the southernmost nation of the West Indies in the Caribbean. It is situated 130 kilometres south of Grenada off the northern edge of the South American mainland, 11 kilometres off the coast of northeastern Venezuela. It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the northeast, Grenada to the northwest, Guyana to the southeast, and Venezuela to the south and west.

History

The party was founded by Karl Hudson-Phillips, who had resigned from the ruling People's National Movement in 1973 when Prime Minister Eric Williams reversed his decision to resign from politics. Hudson-Phillips had been the main contender to succeed Williams - once Williams returned there was no longer room for a person who had openly expressed an interest in leading the party. Hudson-Phillips went on to form the 'National Land Tenants and Ratepayers Association of Trinidad and Tobago in 1974, a right-of-centre body. After building a support base among the middle and upper classes, he launched the ONR in 1980. Despite receiving 22.2% of the vote, the party failed to win any seats, whilst the United Labour Front (which had received 15.2% of the vote) won ten seats. [1]

Karl Terrence Hudson-Phillips, ORTT, QC was an Attorney-General of Trinidad and Tobago and a judge of the International Criminal Court. He was also lead counsel in the murder trial of Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop.

Peoples National Movement political party in Trinidad and Tobago

The People's National Movement (PNM) is the present-day governing political party in Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 1955 by Eric Williams, it won the 1956 General Elections and went on to hold power for an unbroken 30 years. After the death of Williams in 1981 George Chambers led the party. The party was defeated in the 1986 General Elections, losing 33–3 to the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). Under the leadership of Patrick Manning, the party returned to power in 1991 following the 1990 attempted coup by the Jamaat al-Muslimeen, but lost power in 1995 to the United National Congress (UNC). The PNM lost again to the UNC in the 2000 General Elections, but a split in the UNC forced new elections in 2001. These elections resulted in an 18–18 tie between the PNM and the UNC, and President Arthur N. R. Robinson appointed Manning as Prime Minister. Manning was unable to elect a Speaker of the House of Representatives, but won an outright majority in new elections held in 2002 and again in 2007, before losing power in 2010. It returned to power in 2015 under their leader, Keith Rowley winning 23 of the 41 seats in the 2015 General Elections.

Eric Williams Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago

Eric Eustace Williams served as the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. He served as prime minister from 1962 until his death in 1981. He was also a noted Caribbean historian.

This setback led to the ONR forging a closer relationship with the other opposition parties, which had organised themselves as the National Alliance prior to the elections. In the 1983 local elections the ONR won 26 of the 120 local government seats, while the National Alliance won 40. This was the first time since 1959 that the PNM had not won the majority of seats contested in any election in Trinidad (the DAC had taken control of the Tobago House of Assembly in 1980). Following on this success, the three parties making up the National Alliance and the ONR merged to form a single party, the National Alliance for Reconstruction. In the 1986 general elections the NAR won 33 of the 36 seats in Parliament and was able to form the new government.

Tobago House of Assembly

The Tobago House of Assembly (THA) is a unicameral autonomous legislative body responsible for the island of Tobago within the twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The THA was established in 1980 to rectify some of the disparities in the relationship between the two islands, though a prior body using the same name existed from 1768–1874. In addition to the normal local government functions the THA handles many of the responsibilities of the central government, but has limited ability to collect taxes and impose local law or zoning regulations. At the helm of the Assembly Legislature is the Presiding Officer with the twelve elected assemblymen, and four appointed councillors. Three of the councillors are appointed on the advice on the Chief Secretary and one on the advice of the Minority Leader. The Chief Secretary is the leader of the majority party in the assembly and is at the helm of the Executive arm of the THA.

National Alliance for Reconstruction

The National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) was the governing party in Trinidad and Tobago between 1986 and 1991.

Hudson-Phillips did not take a major role in the NAR government (according to Basdeo Panday this was because of animosity between Hudson-Phillips and A. N. R. Robinson, the "compromise" leader of the NAR). However, several other ONR members held prominent posts in the NAR government. After the NAR folded, many former ONR members joined the United National Congress, while others returned to the PNM.

Basdeo Panday Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician and trade unionist and the 5th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago

Basdeo Panday is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian lawyer, politician, trade unionist, economist, actor, civil servant, teacher, clerk, electrician, and laborer who served as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001. He was the first Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. He was first elected to Parliament in 1976 as the Member for Couva North, Panday served as Leader of the Opposition five times between 1976 and 2010 and was a founding member of the United Labour Front (ULF), the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR), and the United National Congress (UNC). He served as leader of the ULF and UNC, and was President General of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers' Trade Union.

A. N. R. Robinson former President and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago

The Hon. Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson SC, OCC, TC, was the third President of Trinidad and Tobago, serving from 19 March 1997 to 17 March 2003. He was also Trinidad and Tobago's third Prime Minister, serving in that capacity from 18 December 1986 to 17 December 1991. He is internationally recognized for his proposal that eventually led to the founding of the International Criminal Court.

United National Congress political party in Trinidad and Tobago

The United National Congress (UNC) is one of the two major political parties in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and one of the main parties in the current opposition. It was founded by Basdeo Panday, a lawyer and former trade unionist. The UNC was formed as the result of a split in the ruling National Alliance for Reconstruction in 1988. After spending six years in opposition, the UNC won control of the government in 1995. In the 2000 general elections, the UNC won an absolute majority in the Parliament. In 2001, a split in the party caused the UNC to lose its parliamentary majority and control of the government. Between 1991 and 1995, and again from 2001 to 2010, the UNC was the Parliamentary Opposition party. In May 2010, the UNC returned to government as the majority party in the People's Partnership. With this victory, the UNC's political leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar was sworn in as Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the first woman to hold this position. Historically, the UNC has been supported by a majority of Hindu Trinidadian and Tobagonians, Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonians, and the different minorities of the country. The UNC is also colloquially called the Indian party or the Hindu Party. The party symbol is the rising sun above the Trinity Hills.

Related Research Articles

The history of Trinidad and Tobago begins with the settlements of the islands by Amerindians, specifically the Island Carib and Arawak peoples. Both islands were explored by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage in 1498. Trinidad remained in Spanish hands until 1797, but it was largely settled by French colonists. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch, and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands following the second Treaty of Paris (1814). In 1889 the two islands were incorporated into a single crown colony. Trinidad and Tobago obtained its independence from the British Empire in 1962 and became a republic in 1976.

Politics of Trinidad and Tobago

The politics of Trinidad and Tobago function within the framework of a unitary state regulated by a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, from which the country gained its independence in 1962. Under the 1976 republican Constitution, the British monarch was replaced as head of state by a President chosen by an electoral college composed of the members of the bicameral Parliament, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Patrick Manning Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago

Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning was a Trinidadian politician who was the fourth and sixth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago; his terms ran from 17 December 1991 to 9 November 1995 and from 24 December 2001 to 26 May 2010. He was also Political Leader of the People's National Movement (PNM) from 1987 to 2010. A geologist by training, Manning served as Member of Parliament for the San Fernando East constituency from 1971 until 2015 when he was replaced by Randall Mitchell and was the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives. He was the Leader of the Opposition from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1995 to 2001.

United Labour Front defunct political party in Trinidad and Tobago

The United Labour Front (ULF) was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago and the main opposition party between 1976 and 1986.

Democratic Action Congress

The Democratic Action Congress (DAC) was a Tobago-based political party in Trinidad and Tobago.

Democratic Labour Party (Trinidad and Tobago) political party in Trinidad and Tobago

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) was the main opposition party in Trinidad and Tobago between 1957 and 1971. The party was the party which opposed the People's National Movement (PNM) at the time of Independence. After several splits brought about by leadership struggles, the party lost its hold on the Indo-Trinidadian community in the 1976 General Elections and was displaced in parliament by the United Labour Front under the leadership of Basdeo Panday. The party was the representative of the ethnic Indian community in the country; however Indian Muslims were said to be less loyal to the party than Indian Hindus.

Colm Imbert Trinidad and Tobago politician

Colm Imbert is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Diego Martin North/East, which he has represented since December 1991.

2002 Trinidad and Tobago general election

Early general elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 7 October 2002, after People's National Movement leader Patrick Manning had failed to secure a majority in the hung parliament produced by the 2001 elections. This time the PNM was able to secure a majority, winning 20 of the 36 seats. Voter turnout was 69.6%.

Dr Linda Baboolal is a Trinidadian physician. She has served as her country's Minister of Social Services and Minister of Health, the first female Chairperson of the People's National Movement party, and as President of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago (2002–2007).

2015 Trinidad and Tobago general election

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 7 September 2015. The date of the general elections was announced by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on 13 June 2015. The result was a victory for the opposition People's National Movement, which received 52% of the vote and won 23 of the 41 seats in the House of Representatives.

Anthony Isidore Smart is a Trinidadian politician and lawyer. He served as a Member of Parliament from December 1986 to November 1991 and Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago from March 1989 to November 1991. He was also Political Leader of the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) from April 2000 to November 2001. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the First Citizens Bank since June 17, 2014.

Local elections were held in Trinidad on Monday November 28, 2016, slightly more than one month later than originally planned. Elections were held to select the membership of 14 local authorities, with representatives elected from 137 single-member districts across the country. The entire membership of Trinidad's local government was renewed as a result of these elections, with the previous set of local representatives having been elected in 2013. The elections came roughly a year following the 2015 parliamentary general election.

References

  1. ↑ Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, pp640-642 ISBN   978-0-19-928357-6
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.