PORT OF SPAIN, August 11, 2020 (AFP) — Trinidad and Tobago’s ruling People’s National Movement party has declared victory in a close-run general election where it lost a seat to the opposition, which has said it will contest the result.
The run-up to Monday’s ballot was dominated by the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic — largely seen as a success — and allegations of corruption that have embroiled several former ministers and a serving MP.
Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s party won 22 seats according to predictions based on a partial vote count, while the opposition United National Congress (UNC) gained 19.
Rowley declared victory as votes were still being tallied, with the final count expected later this week.
“I have always said the people… can be trusted to do the right thing when called upon to do so,” he said in the capital Port of Spain.
But UNC candidate and former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar refused to concede defeat and told reporters her party will demand recounts on three seats — the number required to take power.
Rowley was quick to thank his supporters after the polls closed, saying older people may have shied from voting because of coronavirus concerns.
“Our young people have come to the fore,” he said. “This victory is the result of the participation of our young people. The future of Trinidad and Tobago is bright.”
The country has just under 300 registered COVID-19 cases, according to a John Hopkins University tally, and the government has received praise for its handling of the pandemic, which has boosted its approval rating.
But virus cases have increased in the lead-up to the election, with 67 people testing positive in the last two weeks. Rowley earlier asked supporters not to converge on the party headquarters in case of victory, as is the custom, because of the virus.
Politics remains largely divided along ethnic lines in diverse Trinidad and Tobago — a majority of the People’s National Movement (PNM) supporters are of African descent with the UNC popular among those of a South Asian background.
