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The politics of Trinidad and Tobago function within the framework of a unitary state regulated by a parliamentary democracy modelled on that of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, from which the country gained its independence in 1962. Under the 1976 republican Constitution, the 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.
The United National Congress is one of two major political parties in Trinidad and Tobago and the current parliamentary opposition. The UNC is a centre-left party. It was founded in 1989 by Basdeo Panday, a Trinidadian lawyer, economist, trade unionist, and actor after a split in the ruling National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). After spending six years in opposition, the UNC won control of the government in 1995, initially in coalition with the NAR and later on its own. In the 2000 general election, 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. From 2001 to 2010, the UNC was once again Parliamentary Opposition party. In May 2010, the UNC returned to government as the majority party in the People's Partnership. The UNC's Political Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, was sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
Penal is a town in south Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. It lies south of San Fernando, Princes Town, and Debe, and north of Moruga, Morne Diablo and Siparia. It was originally a rice- and cocoa-producing area but is now a rapidly expanding and developing town. The population is 12,281.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar, often referred to by her initials KPB, is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian lawyer, politician and educator who is the Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago, political leader of the United National Congress (UNC) political party, and was the sixth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 26 May 2010 until 9 September 2015. She was the country's first female Prime Minister, Attorney General, and Leader of the Opposition, the first woman to chair the Commonwealth of Nations and the first woman of Indian origin to be a prime minister of a country outside of India and the wider South Asian region.
General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 5 November 2007. Nomination day was 15 October. Five parties contested the elections; the ruling People's National Movement, the official opposition United National Congress–Alliance, the Congress of the People, the Tobago United Front–Democratic Action Congress and the Democratic National Assembly. Five independent candidates also ran.
General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on May 24, 2010. The date of the general elections was announced by Prime Minister Patrick Manning on April 16, 2010, via a press release. The election was called over two years earlier than required by law. Polls showing that the UNC-led opposition coalition was likely to win the election were confirmed by the subsequent results.
The People's Partnership (PP) was a political coalition in Trinidad and Tobago among five political parties: the United National Congress (UNC), the Congress of the People (COP), the Tobago Organization of the People (TOP), Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) and National Joint Action Committee (NJAC). The political leader was Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The coalition was formed in advance of the 2010 general election attempting to form a multi-ethnic opposition bloc against the People's National Movement (PNM) government led by Patrick Manning. The coalition won the 2010 General Elections defeating the People's National Movement on May 24, 2010. On September 7, 2015, the coalition was defeated in the 2015 General Elections to the People's National Movement led by Keith Rowley. The coalition saw the departure of the Movement for Social Justice in 2012 and eventually disbanded on December 8, 2015.
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.
The 2020United National Congress internal election was held on Sunday, 6 December 2020, after Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the current leader of the UNC, faced losses commencing in January 2013 with the wipeout of her People's Partnership-led administration from the Tobago House of Assembly at the 2013 election, loss in the 2015 Trinidad and Tobago general election and loss in the 2020 Trinidad and Tobago general election. The candidates for political leader were incumbent Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Team Star against former member of parliament for St. Augustine and former Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment in the People's Partnership's government, Vasant Bharath, on Team Lotus. Former senator and Minister of Transport in the People's Partnership's government, Devant Maharaj, was an early candidate for political leader, but was never formally nominated as he dropped out on nomination day on the 15th of November 2020, citing irregularities in the voting process. He endorsed Vasant Bharath and Team Lotus. Kamla Persad-Bissessar won with of 87.15% of the votes, while Vasant Bharath got 12.85% of the votes.
Tobago West is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago, comprising the western part of Tobago. It is currently represented by Shamfa Cudjoe.
Arima is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago in the north of Trinidad, including part of the borough of Arima. It is currently represented by Pennelope Beckles.
Arouca/Maloney is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago in the centre of Trinidad. It has been represented since 2015 by Camille Robinson-Regis of the People's National Movement.
St. Augustine is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago in the north of Trinidad. It has been represented since 2020 by Khadijah Ameen of the United National Congress.
Tabaquite is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago in the south-west of Trinidad. It has been represented since the 2020 general election by Anita Haynes of the United National Congress.
Tunapuna is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago. It has been represented since the 2020 general election by Esmond Forde of the People's National Movement (PNM).
Diego Martin West is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago in the north-west of Trinidad. It has been represented since the 1991 general election by Keith Rowley of the People's National Movement (PNM).
Diego Martin North/East is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago in the north-west of Trinidad. It has been represented since the 2007 general election by Colm Imbert of the People's National Movement (PNM).
D'Abadie/O'Meara is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago in the center of Trinidad. It has been represented since the 2020 general election by Lisa Morris-Julian of the People's National Movement (PNM).
Diego Martin Central is a parliamentary electoral district in Trinidad and Tobago in the north-west of Trinidad. It has been represented since the 2020 general election by Symon de Nobriga of the People's National Movement (PNM).
The 2022 United National Congress internal election took place on 26 June 2022. Kamla Persad-Bissessar, political leader of the United National Congress, Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago, former Prime Minister, and Member of Parliament for Siparia, went up for re-election with her slate of candidates on the Star Team. The Star Team ran unopposed for all but three three post in the UNC's national executive. These three candidates were independent and were not part of a slate of candidates. Fuad Khan, former Minister of Health in Persad-Bissessar's government and the former Member of Parliament for Barataria/San Juan challenged Persad-Bissessar for the post for political leader of the party. The internal election was meant to set the stage of the UNC's national executive (NATEX) for the upcoming local elections and to start preparing for the 2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election.
References
- ↑ "The Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, MP". Trinidad and Tobago Parliament. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- 1 2 "Historical District Profiles". Elections And Boundaries Commission. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ↑ Ragoonath, Reshma (27 June 2015). "PM Kamla riding high in Siparia constituency". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian . Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ↑ "Report of the Elections and Boundaries Commission on Parliamentary Elections Held on Monday 10th August, 2020" (PDF). Elections And Boundaries Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ↑ "Report of the Elections and Boundaries Commission on the Parliamentary Elections Held on Monday 7th September 2015" (PDF). Elections And Boundaries Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- ↑ "Report of the Elections and Boundaries Commission on the Parliamentary Elections Held on Monday 24th May, 2010" (PDF). Elections And Boundaries Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
