Trinidad and Tobago

House of Representatives

Political system: Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament: Bicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Results

About the election: Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s People's National Movement (PNM) retained the majority in the 41-member House of Representatives, taking 3 more seats than the United National Congress (UNC), led by former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. On 28 August, the newly elected House of Representatives re-elected Ms. Bridgid Annisette-George (see note 1) as its Speaker, and the Senate (an appointed chamber renewed at the same time as the House) re-elected Ms. Christine Kangaloo (see note 2) as its President.

The election campaign in 2020 was overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, although Trinidad and Tobago recorded a small number of cases. Key electoral issues included COVID-19 related measures and the economy. The PNM promised to continue seeking to diversify the economy by boosting energy services exports.

Note 1:

The Speaker may be designated from outside parliament. Ms. Bridgid Annisette-George, who was not a directly elected member, became a member of the House by virtue of her election as Speaker.

Note 2:

The President of the Senate may be designated from outside parliament and becomes a member of parliament by virtue of holding the office of President. Since Ms. Christine Kangaloo was designated from outside parliament, the Senate comprises a total of 32 members (31 appointed senators and the Senate President).
Number of parties winning seats: 2
Percentage of parties winning seats: 10.5%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 53.7%
Alternation of power after elections: No
Number of parties in government: 1
Names of parties in government: People’s National Movement (PNM)

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
People's National Movement (PNM)	22
United National Congress (UNC)	19

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 31
Number of women elected: 10

Notes: The 'Parties or coalitions winning seats' above refers to the 41 directly elected members. The 'Distribution of seats according to sex' refers to all 42 members of the House of Representatives (41 directly elected members and the Speaker). Ms. Bridgid Annisette-George, who was not one of the directly elected members, became a member of the House by virtue of her election as Speaker.
Percentage of women elected: 24.4%
Women Directly Elected: 10
Women in other categories: 1
Other notes on the elections: Note on the timing of election:

According to the Constitution, Parliament is dissolved five years after the date of the first sitting (i.e., by 22 September 2020), and a general election takes place within three months of the dissolution.
Sources: Parliament (23.09.2020)

http://www.news.gov.tt

https://www.ebctt.com

Reuters

https://ciwil.org

https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 31
Total number of women after the election: 11
Percentage of women after the election: 26.2%
First-term parliamentarians: 7
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: 16.7%
Date of the first session: 28 Aug 2020

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Bridgid Annisette-George (Female)
Date of birth: 1958
Date of election: 28 Aug 2020

Trinidad and Tobago

House of Representatives

Election results

Background

Candidates

Voter turnout

Results

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Members elected, by sex

New legislature

First Speaker of the new legislature

Historical data for IPU membership