In a stunning upset, the opposition Trinidad and Tobago United National Congress(UNC) has swept the ruling People’s National Movement(PNM)out of power in snap elections Monday April 28th.
The victory returns the UNC and its leader, 73-year-old Kamla Persad-Bissessar, to power after the past ten years in opposition. She had previously served as prime minister from 2010 to 2015 and remains the twin-island state’s first and to-date only female leader.
Of the 41 seats at stake, preliminary figures showed the UNC winning 25 seats, the PNM 14 with the other two going to the Tobago People’s Party.
The scale of the UNC victory was more resounding as most loading polls were predicting a victory for the incumbent PNM.
It was a crushing defeat for recently sworn-in prime minister Stuart Young who was only handed the reigns of office just last month after then-leader Keith Rowley stepped down. Mr Young has effectively become the shortest-serving prime minister in Trinidad and Tobago’s history - and from all initial indications the wider Caribbean.
“This victory is for the senior citizens to keep their pensions. This victory is for public servants to get their rightful salary increases. This victory is to reopen the children’s hospital…This victory is to create over 50,000 jobs. And so, the victory is yours,” a triumphant Mrs Persad-Bissessar declared once her party’s victory became certain.
Ex-PNM leader and prime minister Keith Rowley said: “Tonight is not a good night for the PNM, but it might be a good night for Trinidad … Things have gone very well with the processes. And from what we have coming in … it is clear at this time that we have lost the election.”
In January Mr Rowley had handed over the leadership of the PNM party to Stuary Young who was subsequently sworn-in as prime minister in March.
However, within a day after he took office on March 17th Mr Young announced snap elections. The election was due by August this year.
In a concession statement once the results became obvious, Mr Young said: “The electorate has spoken tonight, and we look forward to tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning you will see a strong PNM back on the road, back servicing the population of Trinidad and Tobago.”
Among the main election issues were a worsening crime wave, the cost of living and the management of the economy.
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