2015 Trinidad and Tobago general election explained

Election Name:2015 Trinidad and Tobago general election
Country:Trinidad and Tobago
Type:parliamentary
Previous Election:2010 Trinidad and Tobago general election
Previous Year:2010
Next Election:2020 Trinidad and Tobago general election
Next Year:2020
Turnout:66.84%
Leader1:Keith Rowley
Colour1:DC241f
Leader Since1:26 May 2010
Party1:People's National Movement
Leaders Seat1:Diego Martin West
Last Election1:12 seats, 39.5%
Seats1:
Seat Change1:11
Popular Vote1:378,447
Percentage1:51.68%
Swing1: 12.0 pp
Leader2:Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Colour2:FCCC08
Leader Since2:24 January 2010
Party2:United National Congress
Alliance2:PP
Leaders Seat2:Siparia
Last Election2:21 seats, 43.7%
Seat Change2:4
Popular Vote2:290,066
Percentage2:39.61%
Swing2: 4.1 pp
Image3: COP
Leader3:Prakash Ramadhar
Leader Since3:3 July 2011
Party3:Congress of the People (Trinidad and Tobago)
Alliance3:PP
Leaders Seat3:St. Augustine
Last Election3:6 seats, 14.12%
Seats Needed3:15
Seat Change3:5
Popular Vote3:43,991
Percentage3:6.01%
Swing3: 8.1 pp
Map Size:400px
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Subsequent Prime Minister
Before Election:Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Before Party:(People's Partnership/United National Congress)
After Election:Keith Rowley
After Party:(People's National Movement)

General elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 7 September 2015.[1] The date of the general elections was announced by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on 13 June 2015. The result was a victory for the opposition People's National Movement, which received 52% of the vote and won 23 of the 41 seats in the House of Representatives.[2]

Background

The 2010 general elections were won by the People's Partnership (PP) coalition, an alliance of the United National Congress (UNC), the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), the Congress of the People (COP) and the Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP). The PP took 29 of the 41 seats, with the People's National Movement (PNM) winning the other 12. Prior to the 2015 general elections, two by-elections were held in St Joseph and Chaguanas West, which saw the seats held by the PP won by the PNM and Independent Liberal Party (ILP) respectively.[3]

Electoral system

The 41 elected members of the House of Representatives were elected in single-member constituencies using first-past-the-post.[4] A total of 2,199 polling stations were used.

Campaign

A total of 127 candidates contested the election for 17 different political parties, with another five running as independents. The PNM was the only party to contest all 41 seats, and only two other parties contested more than half the seats; the United National Congress ran in 28 and the ILP in 26.

The COP ran in eight seats, the Laventille Outreach for Vertical Enrichment, the NJAC, New National Vision and Trinidad Humanity Campaign all contested three seats, whilst Tobago Forwards, the TOP and the Platform of Truth ran in two. The other parties only nominated a single candidate, including the Democratic Development Party, the Independent Democratic Party, the National Coalition for Transportation, the New Voice, the Youth Empowerment Party and the Youth, National Organisations, Farmers Unification, Policy Reformation.[5]

The UNC, NJAC, COP and TOP again ran under the PP banner, and did not run candidates against each other.[6]

Opposition leader Keith Rowley described the election campaign as one of the most "gruelling" in the country's history, but highlighted that the campaign had been conducted in high spirits and without violence or unrest.

Results

Preliminary results on election night indicated that the PNM had won a majority government with 22 of 41 seats, but with a majority of the popular vote flowing to the ruling People's Partnership coalition. On the final count however the PNM clearly secured an absolute majority of votes cast and obtained an extra seat from the PP, winning 23 of the 41 seats. The four parties in the PP alliance received a combined 46.6% of the vote, winning the remaining eighteen seats.[2]

By constituency

Winning candidates are in bold.[7] [8]

ConstituencyPPPNMILPOthers
ArimaRodger Samuel (COP)Anthony GarciaDonna Jennings
Arouca/MaloneyWendell Eversley (COP)Camille Robinson-Regis
Barataria/San JuanFuad Khan (UNC)Hafeez AliJonathan Thomas (YEP)
Caroni CentralBhoe Tewarie (UNC)Avinash SinghMichelle Johnson
Caroni EastTim Gopeesingh (UNC)Sara BudhuAbuzar Mohammed
Chaguanas EastFazal Karim (UNC)Parbatee Helen MaharajJack Warner
Chaguanas WestGanga Singh (UNC)Abbgail NandalalAmarath Jagassar
Couva NorthRamona Ramdial (UNC)Richard RagoonannanSunil Ramjitsingh
Couva SouthRudy Indarsingh (UNC)Alif MohammedKelly Dingoor
Cumuto/ManzanillaBharath Barry LochanDr Lena BreretonKrish Poonwasee (Independent)
D'Abadie/O’Meara Patricia Metivier (COP)Ancil AntoineDominic Romain
Diego Martin CentralEmbau Moheni (NJAC)Darryl SmithKathy Ann Lamont
Diego Martin North/EastGarvin Nicholas (UNC) Colm ImbertSaaleha Abu Bakr (NNV)
Diego Martin WestAvonelle Hector (COP)Keith RowleyTaja CarringhtonFaud Abu Bakr (NNV)
Phillip Alexander (Independent)
Zafir David (THC)
FyzabadLakram Bodoe (UNC)Marsha BaileyFabian Anthony Assie
La BreaRamesh Ramnannan (UNC)Nicole OlivirrieKefing Jason Chance
La Horquetta/TalparoJairam Seemungal (UNC)Maxie Cuffie
Laventille East/MorvantKathy Ann Francis (NJAC)Adrian LeonceFitzdavid SamuelNiya Pierre (LOVE)
Laventille WestMalcolm Kernahan (NJAC)Fitzgerald HindsTrent Holdip
Lopinot/Bon Air West Lincoln Douglas (COP)Nigel Reyes
MayaroRushton Paray (UNC)Clarence RambharatAndrew Brooks
Moruga/TablelandClifton De Coteau (UNC)Lovell FrancisAndre Clifford
NaparimaRodney Charles (UNC)Dons WaitheRiza hosein
Oropouche EastRoodal Moonilal (UNC)Terry Jadoonannan
Oropouche WestVidia Goopiesingh (UNC)Clifford Rambharose
Point FortinRavi Ratiram (UNC)Edmund Dillion
Pointe-à-PierreDavid Lee (UNC)Neil Mohammed
Eli Zakour (UNC)Stuart Young
Port of Spain SouthCleveland Garcia (COP)Marlene McDonald
Princes TownBarry Padarath (UNC)Nikoleiskai Ali
San Fernando EastAshaki Scott (COP)Randall MitchellRicardo Lee Sing
San Fernando WestRaziah Ahmed (UNC)Faris Al-RawiJoseph Mendes
SipariaKamla Persad-Bissessar (UNC)Vidya Deokiesingh
St Ann's EastDon Sylverter (UNC)Nyan Gadsby-DollyGeewan Ramdeen
St AugustinePrakash Ramadhar (COP)Alisha Romano
St JosephVasant Bharath (UNC)Terrence DeyalsinghErrol Fabien (Independent)
TabaquiteSuruj Rambachan (UNC)Kevin Chan
Tobago EastJoseph Fredrick (TOP)Ayanna Webster-RoyJuliana Henry-King (TPT)
Peter Caruth (TF)
Tobago WestNatasha Ann Second (TOP)Shamfa CudjoePaul PetersHochoy Charles (TPT)
Christlyn Moore (TF)
Toco/Sangre GrandeBrent Sancho (UNC)Glenda Jennings SmithDayne Francois
TunapunaWayne Munroe (UNC)Esmonde FordeMarcus Ramkissoon (THC)

Notes and References

  1. http://today.caricom.org/2015/06/12/september-7-election-day-in-trinidad-and-tobago/ 7 September: Election Day in Trinidad and Tobago
  2. http://www.ebctt.com/wp-content/uploads/Results-of-the-Parliamentary-Election-Held-on-Monday-7th-September-2015.xlsx Results of the Parliamentary Election Held on Monday 7 September 2015
  3. News: PNM wins 2015 General Election . . 26 January 2019 . https://archive.today/20150908043816/http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150907/news/pnm-wins-2015-general-election . 8 September 2015 . dead . dmy-all .
  4. http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2319_B.htm Electoral system
  5. http://www.ebctt.com/wp-content/uploads/Candidate-Nominated-Electorate-Polling-Station-2015.xlsx Candidates Nominated Electorate Polling Station 2015
  6. News: COP loses three seats . Trinidad Express . 15 August 2015 . 13 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150918050020/http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20150815/news/cop-loses-three-seats . 18 September 2015 . dead . dmy-all .
  7. http://www.ebctt.com/wp-content/uploads/Election-Agents-20050906.pdf List of Election Agents
  8. http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2015-09-08/tt%E2%80%88starts-new-era-under-pnm T&T starts new era under PNM