Clearly tired of two consecutive terms of the People’s National Movement (PNM), voters in economically challenged Trinidad and Tobago picked a new government in its general elections held on Monday, giving the new administration a large enough majority, allowing it to pass key bills without opposition help.
The Indo-dominated United National Congress (UNC) of former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar won 26 of the 41 parliamentary seats, picking up seven along the way, while the Afro-supported People’s National Movement (PNM) dropped to 13 from 22 from the 2020 polls. Voters appear to have been angry with the PNM for its lethargic response to various crises in different communities and its slow uptake on meeting infrastructural improvement demands in others.
The oil and gas-rich nation, the most southerly in the Caribbean island chain, has also faced major challenges with steadily declining daily oil production and a significant reduction in gas exports and output. Efforts, for example, to increase natural gas production were dealt a severe blow recently when the Trump administration blocked efforts by the federation to jointly explore a giant gas field straddling the border with Venezuela that would have tremendously improved economic prospects.
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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 at 73. 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 just over 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.”