2018 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election explained

Election Name:2018 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election
Country:Trinidad and Tobago
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2013 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election
Previous Year:2013
Election Date:19 January 2018
Next Election:2023 Trinidad and Tobago presidential election
Next Year:2023
Image1:Paula-Mae Weekes 2019.jpg
Nominee1:Paula-Mae Weekes
Party1:Independent (politician)
Electoral Vote1:Unopposed
President
Before Election:Anthony Carmona
Before Party:Independent (politician)
After Election:Paula-Mae Weekes
After Party:Independent (politician)

Indirect presidential elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 19 January 2018.

On 5 January 2018, the name of Paula-Mae Weekes, a judge of the Turks and Caicos Islands Court of Appeal, was put forward by the PNM government of Prime Minister Keith Rowley in hopes of reaching a consensus with the UNC-led parliamentary opposition of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, which later indeed endorsed her nomination as well. As Weekes was the only nominated candidate on election day, she was deemed elected without the need for a vote. Paula-Mae Weeks thus became the first woman to take office as president of Trinidad and Tobago on 19 March 2018.[1]

Electoral method

The President of Trinidad and Tobago is indirectly elected for a 5-year term by an electoral college comprising all 41 members of the House of Representatives and all 31 members of the Senate.

To win the election a candidate must gain a plurality of votes cast, whereby a quorum comprising the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 10 Senators and 12 other member of the House of Representatives must be met for the election to be considered valid. If only one candidate should be nominated to run in the election, he or she shall be considered to have been elected president without the need for a vote to take place.[2]

Candidates

Nominated by the Government

Electoral College

Partisan make-up of the Electoral College

Political Party Seats in
House of
Representatives
Seats in Senate Total %
23163954.16%
1762331.94%
Congress of the People1011.39%
09912.5%
Total 41 31 72 100%
Source:https://web.archive.org/web/20140217003126/http://www.ttparliament.org/

Results of the election held on 19 January 2018

Candidate House of
Representatives
Senate Total %
Paula-Mae Weekes Unopposed
Invalid/blank votes
Abstained
Not present
Total 41 31 72 100%
Source:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Trinidad Express Newspapers: News | PM's WISE CHOICE . 2018-02-18 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180107061126/http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20180105/news/pms-wise-choice . 7 January 2018 . dmy-all .
  2. http://www.oas.org/juridico/english/mesicic3_tto_constitution.pdf The Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago