Voters in Trinidad and Tobago Monday chose to give the opposition United National Congress (UNC) the chance to run the southern Caribbean nation for the next five years, dumping the People’s National Movement (PNM) in spectacular fashion after 10 consecutive years.
Polls had opened at dawn across the federation but long before midnight, it was clear that the Indo-dominated United National Congress (UNC) of attorney Kamla Persad-Bissessar would trounce the Afro-supported PNM and grow from 19 to 26 seats from the 2020 contest. In doing so, the UNC picked up nearly all of the so-called marginal constituencies, while the PNM dropped from 22 to 13, in one of its worst performances since independence in 1962. The two Tobago seats, traditionally held by the PNM voted against the party which changed leadership just over a month ago when two-term prime minister Keith Rowley,75, retired, handing the office to attorney and former energy minister Stuart Young. In losing, Young, 50 became the shortest PM in local history with just five weeks at the helm. He has vowed to remain relevant.
For the PNM, it had appeared that the task of securing a third consecutive term was an uphill one with an underperforming economy, beset by declining oil and gas production and exports. And efforts to remedy economic misfortune by jointly exploring a giant gas field on the border with Venezuela were curtailed by the Trump administration as it continues to impose crushing sanctions on the pariah South American nation.
As results came in, PM elect Persad-Bissessar, 73, a week ago said it was clear that the votes were trending in the UNC’s favor, suggesting that her party and government are ready to function effectively from day one.
In reelecting attorney Persad-Bissessar, voters made her not only the first woman head of government, but the first to come back after a defeat to serve a second term. She urged jubilant supporters not to ”be boastful and arrogant. We have lots of work to do,” as it became clear long before midnight that she is heading to the office of the prime minister again after 10 years in opposition.
“When God says ‘Yes’, nobody can say no. We, the people, have the real power in Trinidad and Tobago. Not the fake elites. The victory is yours. Now that the UNC has won, everybody wins. It is now that the real work starts. From day one, we will be focused on delivering on our promises. Working to make every citizen’s life better, brighter, more prosperous. I give you the assurance that no one will be left behind,” she said.
For his part, former prime minister Stuart Young, given the leadership of government following the retirement of Keith Rowley a month ago, conceded defeat but vowed that the party would rebuild and come back strongly. His just over five-week tenure was clearly the shortest since independence from Britain in 1962.
“The electorate has spoken tonight and we look forward to tomorrow morning. We’ll be back on the road, rebuilding and encouraging the youths to come forth. I certainly look forward to playing a part in that and a leadership role in that.” Predecessor, Rowley noted that “tonight is not a good night for the PNM. It is clear at this time that we have lost the election. We have done it before, conceding defeat on election night but tomorrow is a new day.”
As Persad-Bissessar prepares to be sworn in as the Caribbean’s newest head of government, the conclusion of the federation’s elections now means that regional attention will be switched to Suriname which goes to the polls on May 25th.
There, polls are showing that the incumbent coalition of President Chan Santokhi will struggle to win enough seats to form a government with 26 or more of the 51 seats as the country has been beset by serious economic troubles, widespread allegations of corruption and state and other contracts awarded to friends and family of the ruling elite. Other contests in the making are Guyana, Jamaica and St. Vincent to go along with those already held this year in Belize, Bermuda, Curacao, The Turks and Caicos Islands and Anguilla in one of the busiest years in the 15-member bloc. Rowley says his party will bounce back and has experienced defeat before.
“We conceded in 1986, 1995 and in 2010, so this 70-year-old party, sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t win—tonight is one of those nights where surprisingly, we have not done very well in the general election. But from Tuesday, the PNM will begin to prepare itself for the next call within the next 60 months. We wish all the leaders well, as our country is now in their hands.”
