List of political parties in Trinidad and Tobago explained

This article lists political parties in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago has a de facto two-party system.

The People's National Movement (PNM) and the United National Congress (UNC) are the two biggest political parties, and have supplied every Prime Minister since 1991. The PNM has governed Trinidad and Tobago from 1956–86, 1991–95, and 2001 to 2010, and currently serves as the government since 2015. The UNC governed from 1995-2001 and from 2010-2015.

The Tobago-based Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) is the third biggest political party, with one assemblymember in the Tobago House of Assembly, since 2022. former PDP Independents currently govern the Tobago House of Assembly since 2022. The PNM is the only political party which contests elections in both Trinidad and Tobago.

Political parties with representation at a local or national level

See also: 2020 Trinidad and Tobago general election.

See also: 2019 Trinidadian local elections.

See also: 2017 Tobago House of Assembly election.

Name		Founded	Orientation	Leader(s)		House of Representatives	Senate	Councillors in municipal corporations	Municipal corporations	Tobago House of Assembly	Membership	TT vote share % (2020 general election)^[1]
	People's National Movement	1955	Centre to Centre-left, Liberalism, Social liberalism, Moderate nationalism		Keith Rowley						105,894^[2] ^[3] ^[4] (November 2022)	49.1
	United National Congress	1989	Centre-left, Democratic socialism, Social democracy, Third Way		Kamla Persad-Bissessar					(N/A; Does not contest)	120,000+^[5] (December 2020)	47.1
	Progressive Democratic Patriots	2016	Tobago regionalism		Watson Duke						Not published	1.6

Other parties with symbols registered with the Elections And Boundaries Commission (EBC)

• Innovative Democratic Alliance
• National Transformation Alliance
• Progressive Empowerment Party^[6]
• Independent Liberal Party
• Movement for Social Justice
• Movement for National Development
• Congress of the People
• Democratic Party of Trinidad and Tobago
• Trinidad and Tobago Democratic Front
• New National Vision
• Trinidad Humanity Campaign
• National Organization of We the People
• National Coalition for Transformation
• Progressive Party
• One Tobago Voice
• Unrepresented Peoples Party
• Unity of the People
• The National Party
• Port of Spain People's Movement
• National Solidarity Assembly
• Patriotic Front
• Green Party^[7]

Defunct or dormant political parties

Parties which have won seats in elections are in bold.

• National Alliance for Reconstruction
• National Joint Action Committee
• Democratic National Assembly
• Democratic Development Party
• The Organization Of Independent Candidates^[8]
• Youth Empowerment Party
• African National Congress
• British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party
• Caribbean National Labour Party
• Caribbean People's Democratic Party
• Communist Party of Trinidad and Tobago
• Caribbean Socialist Party
• Committee for Transformation and Progress
• Citizens' Alliance
• Class Action Reform Movement (CARM)
• Curepe United People's Committee
• Democratic Action Congress
• Democratic Labour Party
• Democratic Liberation Party
• Democratic National Alliance
• Fargo House Movement
• February 18 Movement
• Liberal Party
• Liberation Action Party
• Movement for National Transformation
• Movement for Social Transformation (MOTION)
• Movement for Unity and Progress
• National Democratic Alliance (Trinidad & Tobago)
• National Democratic Organisation
• National Democratic Party
• National Development Party
• National Freedom Party
• National Liberation Movement (NLM)
• National Progressive Party
• National Team Unity
• National Transformation Movement
• National Transformation Party
• Nationwide Transformation Movement
• National Trinidad and Tobago Party
• National Union of Freedom Fighters (NUFF)
• Natural Law Party
• New Beginning Movement (NBM)
• Organisation for National Reconstruction
• Our Party
• Party of Political Progress Groups
• People's Democratic Party
• People's Empowerment Party
• People's Liberation Movement
• People's Popular Movement
• People's Republican Party
• Point Fortin Vigilante Welfare Group
• Political Progress Groups
• Progressive Democratic Party
• Progressive Workers Democrat Movement
• Republican Party of Trinidad and Tobago
• Seukeran Independent Party
• Social Democratic Labour Party of Trinidad and Tobago
• Socialist Alternative
• Summit of People's Organisations (SOPO)
• Tapia House Movement
• Tobago Organisation of the People
• Trinidad Labour Party
• Trades Union Council
• Trades Union Council and Caribbean Socialist Party
• The Mercy Society
• The People's Voice
• United Country Group, St Andrew-St. David
• United Front
• United Labour Front
• United Revolutionary Organization (URO)
• Young People's National Party
• West Indian Independence Party
• West Indian National Party
• West Indian Political Congress Movement
• Workers and Farmers Party

See also

• Politics of Trinidad and Tobago
• List of political parties by country

References

• Matthias Catón: "Trinidad and Tobago" in: Elections in the Americas. A Data Handbook, vol. 1, ed. by Dieter Nohlen. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2005: pp. 627–646
• Kirk Meighoo: Politics in a Half Made Society: Trinidad and Tobago, 1925-2002, 2003
• Perry Mars: Ideology and Change: The Transformation of the Caribbean Left, Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 1998. 230p.

1. Web site: The Preliminary Results of the 2020 Parliamentary Elections. EBC.
2. Web site: Alexander . Gail . Slightly better Sunday turnout for PNM election . 2022-12-17 . www.guardian.co.tt . en.
3. News: 11 June 2018. PNM ready, not the UNC, for by-elections. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 18 January 2021.
4. News: 19 September 2018. PNM's .1M members ready for polls battle. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 18 January 2021.
5. Web site: Vasant concedes to Kamla in UNC poll . www.guardian.co.tt . 7 December 2020. en.
6. Web site: Progressive Empowerment Party – One People Under One Flag.
7. Web site: 2019-09-04. New Green Party formed. 2020-04-18. Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. en-US.
8. Web site: O.I.C. – The Organization Of Independent Candidates. . https://web.archive.org/web/20191224064503/https://www.oic-online.com/ . December 24, 2019 . oic-online.com.