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List of political parties in Trinidad and Tobago

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

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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
22 / 41
16 / 31
71 / 139
7 / 14
1 / 15
105,894[2][3][4](November 2022) 49.1
United National Congress 1989 Centre-left, Democratic socialism, Social democracy, Third Way Kamla Persad-Bissessar
19 / 41
6 / 31
67 / 139
7 / 14
0 / 15
(N/A; Does not contest)
120,000+[5] (December 2020) 47.1
Progressive Democratic Patriots 2016 Tobago regionalism Watson Duke
0 / 41
0 / 31
0 / 139
0 / 14
1 / 15
Not published 1.6

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

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Defunct or dormant political parties

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Parties which have won seats in elections are in bold.

See also

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References

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  • 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 ISBN 0-19-928357-5
  • Kirk Meighoo: Politics in a Half Made Society: Trinidad and Tobago, 1925-2002, 2003 ISBN 1-55876-306-6
  • Perry Mars: Ideology and Change: The Transformation of the Caribbean Left, Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 1998. 230p.
  1. ^ "The Preliminary Results of the 2020 Parliamentary Elections". EBC.
  2. ^ Alexander, Gail. "Slightly better Sunday turnout for PNM election". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  3. ^ "PNM ready, not the UNC, for by-elections". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  4. ^ "PNM's .1M members ready for polls battle". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Vasant concedes to Kamla in UNC poll". www.guardian.co.tt. 7 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Progressive Empowerment Party – One People Under One Flag".
  7. ^ "New Green Party formed". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  8. ^ "O.I.C. – The Organization Of Independent Candidates". oic-online.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019.