Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been elected the first female prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago after her five-party coalition swept to victory in snap elections in the former British colony.
A subdued Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning conceded defeat some five hours after the close of polls late on Monday, as TV counts showed almost the whole map of the larger island of Trinidad turn the coalition color of yellow, as well as both seats in Tobago.
The Elections and Boundaries Commission was yesterday due to declare official results for the 41 seat House of Representatives in the energy-rich nation off the coast of Venezuela.
Indian music and Caribbean beats rang out at a victory party for Persad-Bissessar in the nation famed for its carnival.
Her campaign tapped into voters’ worries about rising gang violence and corruption scandals.
The 58-year-old also promised to increase pensions and create a multimillion-dollar fund for sick children in a campaign focused on change.
“I’m deeply humbled by the trust you have given to me,” she said in a victory speech in which she emphasized unity for the nation’s diverse races.
Politics has long been divided along lines of Indian or African descent, the two majority ethnic groups. Manning’s People’s National Movement (PNM) draws most of its support from Afro-Trinidadians while the United National Congress (UNC) of Persad-Bissessar largely relies on Indo-Trinidadian backing.
The new coalition includes the multi-racial Congress of the People, and the smaller National Joint Action Committee, the Tobago Organization of the People and the Movement for Social Justice.
“Here, every creed and race finds an equal place and space,” Persad-Bissessar said on Monday.
Many hailed the win as an important step for women and also for the UNC, which only held power between 1995 and 2001.
“What I do know is that we’ve lost the elections ... I take full responsibility for the defeat,” Manning said on live television.
Diplomats overseeing the vote reported no major incidents.
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