2015 Trinidad and Tobago general election

Last updated

2015 Trinidad and Tobago general election
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg
  2010 7 September 2015 (2015-09-07) 2020  

All 41 seats in the House of Representatives
Turnout66.84%
 First partySecond partyThird party
  KeithRowley.jpg Kamla Persad-Bissesar 2013.jpg
COP
Leader Keith Rowley Kamla Persad-Bissessar Prakash Ramadhar
Party PNM UNC COP
Alliance PP PP
Leader since26 May 201024 January 20103 July 2011
Leader's seat Diego Martin West Siparia St. Augustine
Last election12 seats, 39.5%21 seats, 43.7%6 seats, 14.12%
Seats won
23 / 41
17 / 41
1 / 41
Seat changeIncrease2.svg11Decrease2.svg4Decrease2.svg5
Popular vote378,447290,06643,991
Percentage51.68%39.61%6.01%
SwingIncrease2.svg 12.0 pp Decrease2.svg 4.1 pp Decrease2.svg 8.1 pp

Trinidad & Tobago general election 2015 - Results by Constituency.svg
Colours denote the winning party, shades denote voting strength as shown in the main table of results.

Prime Minister before election

Kamla Persad-Bissessar
(People's Partnership/United National Congress)

Contents

Subsequent Prime Minister

Keith Rowley
(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. [5]

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. [7]

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.[ citation needed ] 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]

Trinite-et-Tobago Chambre des representants 2015.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's National Movement 378,44751.6823+11
United National Congress (PP)290,06639.6117−4
Congress of the People  (PP)43,9916.011−5
National Joint Action Committee (PP)5,7900.7900
Independent Liberal Party  5,1230.700New
Tobago Forwards2,1620.300New
Tobago Organisation of the People (PP)1,7500.240−2
New National Vision8830.1200
Platform of Truth4690.060New
Laventille Outreach for Vertical Enrichment3440.050New
National Coalition for Transportation3310.050New
Democratic Development Party1530.020New
Trinidad Humanity Campaign1380.020New
Independent Democratic Party1080.010New
The New Voice1010.010New
Youth, National Organisations, Farmers Unification, Policy Reformation740.010New
Youth Empowerment Party340.000New
Independents2,3760.3200
Total732,340100.00410
Valid votes732,34099.67
Invalid/blank votes2,4520.33
Total votes734,792100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,099,27966.84
Source: EBCTT, EBCTT, Caribbean Elections

By constituency

Winning candidates are in bold. [8] [9]

Constituency PP PNM ILP Others
Arima Rodger Samuel (COP)Anthony GarciaDonna Jennings
Arouca/MaloneyWendell Eversley (COP) Camille Robinson-Regis
Barataria/San Juan Fuad 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 Maharaj Jack Warner
Chaguanas WestGanga Singh (UNC)Abbgail NandalalAmarath Jagassar
Couva North Ramona Ramdial (UNC)Richard RagoonannanSunil Ramjitsingh
Couva South Rudy Indarsingh (UNC)Alif MohammedKelly Dingoor
Cumuto/ManzanillaChristene Newallo Hosein (UNC)Bharath Barry LochanDr Lena BreretonKrish Poonwasee (Independent)
D'Abadie/O’MearaPatricia Metivier (COP)Ancil AntoineDominic Romain
Diego Martin CentralEmbau Moheni (NJAC)Darryl SmithKathy Ann Lamont
Diego Martin North/EastGarvin Nicholas (UNC) Colm Imbert Saaleha Abu Bakr (NNV)
Diego Martin WestAvonelle Hector (COP) Keith Rowley Taja 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/Talparo Jairam 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)Cherrie Ann Chritchlow CockburnNigel Reyes
MayaroRushton Paray (UNC)Clarence RambharatAndrew Brooks
Moruga/TablelandClifton De Coteau (UNC)Lovell FrancisAndre Clifford
NaparimaRodney Charles (UNC)Dons WaitheRiza hosein
Oropouche East Roodal Moonilal (UNC)Terry Jadoonannan
Oropouche WestVidia Goopiesingh (UNC)Clifford Rambharose
Point FortinRavi Ratiram (UNC)Edmund Dillion
Pointe-à-Pierre David Lee (UNC)Neil MohammedPatrina Mark Bascombe
Port of Spain North/St Ann's WestEli Zakour (UNC)Stuart Young
Port of Spain SouthCleveland Garcia (COP)Marlene McDonald
Princes TownBarry Padarath (UNC)Nikoleiskai Ali
San Fernando East Ashaki Scott (COP)Randall MitchellRicardo Lee Sing
San Fernando West Raziah Ahmed (UNC) Faris Al-Rawi Joseph Mendes
Siparia Kamla Persad-Bissessar (UNC)Vidya Deokiesingh
St Ann's EastDon Sylverter (UNC) Nyan Gadsby-Dolly Geewan Ramdeen
St AugustinePrakash Ramadhar (COP)Alisha Romano
St JosephVasant Bharath (UNC)Terrence DeyalsinghErrol Fabien (Independent)
TabaquiteSuruj Rambachan (UNC)Kevin Chan
Tobago East Joseph Fredrick (TOP) Ayanna Webster-Roy Juliana Henry-King (TPT)
Peter Caruth (TF)
Tobago West Natasha 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)

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References

  1. 7 September: Election Day in Trinidad and Tobago Caricom Today, 12 June 2015
  2. 1 2 Results of the Parliamentary Election Held on Monday 7 September 2015 EBCTT
  3. "PNM wins 2015 General Election". Trinidad Express . Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  4. Electoral system IPU
  5. 1 2 Candidates Nominated Electorate Polling Station 2015 Archived 15 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine EBCTT
  6. "COP loses three seats". Trinidad Express. 15 August 2015. Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  7. PNM Victory Speech by Keith Rowly , retrieved 4 December 2015
  8. List of Election Agents Archived 15 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine EBCTT
  9. T&T starts new era under PNM Archived 9 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, 8 September 2015