IFES Election Guide - Election Profile for Trinidad and Tobago

Election Profile:

Overview

Results

Of Interest/Links

Sources

Country: Trinidad and Tobago
Official Name: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Election Type: Presidential
Date: February 15, 2013

At stake in this election:

The office of President of Trinidad and Tobago

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President George Maxwell RICHARDS *
Head of Government: Prime Minister Kamla PERSAD-BISSESSAR **
Assembly: Trinidad and Tobago has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate with 31 seats and the House of Representatives with 41 seats.

* The President is elected by indirect vote by an electoral college consisting of ten senators, the Speaker, and twelve members of the House of Representatives.

** The president usually appoints the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives

Description of electoral system:

The President is indirectly elected by an electoral college to serve a 5-year term.
Prime Minister is appointed by the President to serve a 5-year term.
In the Senate 31 members are appointed to serve 5-year terms*. In the House of Representatives 41 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.

* In the Senate, 16 members are appointed by the ruling party, 9 members are appointed by the president, and 6 members are appointed by the opposition party. All members serve 5-year terms.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

Wade MARK
Independent(s): N/A
Amrika TIWARY-REDDY
Independent(s): N/A
Anthony Thomas Aquinas CARMONA***
Independent(s): N/A
Winston DOOKERAN****
Independent(s): N/A
Rolson NELSON*****
Independent(s): N/A
Kenneth LALLA
Independent(s): N/A
Robert RILEY
Independent(s): N/A
Hamid GHANY
Independent(s): N/A
Karl Terrence HUDSON-PHILLIPS
Independent(s): N/A

*** CARMONA has been endorsed by the governing coalition, the People's Partnership, as their presidential nominee.
**** DOOKERAN has been endorsed by the Congress of the People Party (COP) as their presidential nominee.
***** NELSON has been endorsed by the leading opposition party, People's National Movement (PNM) as their presidential nominee.