TRINIDAD, August 10, 2020 — The people of Trinidad and Tobago vote in General Elections today, after an elections campaign limited by protocols related to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The 2,200 polling stations were scheduled to open at 6:00 a.m. in 41 constituencies across the country.
The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) says 1,134,136 voters are eligible to vote in today’s poll. The electorate will choose from among 19 political parties and four Independent candidates.
In the last elections in 2015, the Peoples National Movement (PNM) of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley won 23 of the 41 seats at stake, and the United National Congress (UNC) of Opposition Leader Ms Kamla Persad-Bissessar took the remaining 18 seats.
A Loop News article noted that the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has been “working closely with authorities from the Ministry of Health to ensure health guidelines are established for the electoral process.”
“According to the EBC, over 1.1 million citizens are eligible to vote in this year’s election. 146 candidates from 19 political parties, and four Independents will be contesting the 41 constituencies across Trinidad and Tobago,” the Loop News article stated.
It added, “Today, the incumbent People’s National Movement (PNM) will try to hold on to its 23 seats, as well as wrest more from the grip of the opposition United National Congress (UNC) and the Congress of the People (COP). Over the last five weeks, since the announcement of the election date, political parties have had to improvise their approach to campaigning.
“Walkabouts and motorcades, many conducted with flagrant disregard for legislation designed to protect the population against the threat of COVID-19, remained a cornerstone of political campaigning for both major parties. Otherwise though, virtual town halls and rallies took the place of massive physical ones, and the internet was inundated with Zoom links and Facebook lives on an almost nightly basis.
“On the UNC’s side, political leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar slammed the government’s response to COVID-19 at every turn, and promised on the political platform to increase testing for the virus and to bring home nationals still outside the country’s closed borders. Persad-Bisessar also vowed to reduce taxes, create 50,000 jobs and resuscitate the sugar industry in Trinidad and Tobago.
“The PNM also centred much of its manifesto on economic recovery and diversification – the plummeting price of oil over the last five years has been difficult to ignore. They pledged to invest $500 million into the agricultural sector in Fiscal Year 2021-2022. The party also dedicated special focus in its manifesto to the development of more affordable housing in different economic brackets, as well as the continuation of its private-public partnership in the housing sector.”
