PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – THE twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will have its first female Prime Minister in history, as Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s opposition coalition whipped the incumbent People’s National Movement (PNM) in yesterday’s (May 24) General Election.
Known as the “People’s Partnership”, the coalition captured 29 parliamentary seats to the PNM’s 12. The grouping consisted of lead opposition party the United National Congress (UNC), the Congress of the People, the Tobago Organisation of the People and New National Vision.
Former PM Patrick Manning admitted defeat during a speech last evening in front of thousands of loyal PNM supporters.
“I am here to concede defeat…we had reason to believe we were going to be successful, but it just didn’t work that way. I want to assure you that it’s not the end of the world or the end of the political world.”
Accepting “full responsibility” for the result, he also congratulated Persad-Bissessar on her achievement.
Manning called the early election on April 8 amid allegations of corruption and fiscal mismanagement. Many speculated that his move, two years before a constitutional deadline, was meant to block the Partnership’s formation and avoid a no-confidence motion.
Reports from the country indicate that approximately 60 percent of the one million registered voters turned out to cast their ballot.
Persad-Bissessar is a former Attorney-General and a 23-year veteran of politics. After claiming the UNC leadership in January, she ascended to parliamentary opposition leader.
She now joins the small club of female Caribbean leaders including Dominica’s Dame Eugenia Charles, Guyana’s Janet Jagan and Jamaica’s Portia-Simpson Miller.
The Prime Minister-elect said she was “overwhelmed” and “honoured” at the result, and pledged to undertake political and economic reforms that would rebuild the country.
“You can hold me accountable to the promise of change that we offered you. I knew the time had come. A new page has been turned and the responsibility to each of you is now on my shoulders. I will not let you down.
“From this day forth, as we go forward to build our nation, there will be no UNC, no PNM because we are one nation, we are one people and together we will rise.
“We need every single hand on deck. Our nation has been in crisis and the only way we can rebuild this land is if side by side together we lift and raise every single person,” she said.
